


It's Not Catching Pokemon, It's the Hunt (And Who You're Hunting With)

by Avidreader6, twangcat



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Anal Sex, Attempted mugging, BAMF Phil Coulson, Drinking, Jasper may be the king of sass, Little bit of a slow burn, M/M, Meet-Cute, Phil Maria & Jasper are the ultimate trinity of broship, Pokemon GO - Freeform, Shower Sex, mention of accidental outing, nobody is HYDRA--nobody!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-26
Updated: 2016-08-26
Packaged: 2018-08-11 05:38:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 24,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7878622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avidreader6/pseuds/Avidreader6, https://archiveofourown.org/users/twangcat/pseuds/twangcat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Phil had only wanted to catch a Pikachu, but what he got was so much better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Phil very much regretted not knowing about the Pikachu hack when he first started his Pokemon Go account. At this point, he had managed to catch a Tauros and a high-level Eevee, but Pikachu still eluded him. 

However, tonight might be the night that changed. There was a Pikachu shaped shadow on his screen and he had time to hunt. He had several incubating eggs and this was a good time for a walk. The summer was hot, but towards evening it had started to cool down. Now his summer suit was just right and he still had a few hours of daylight left; it was perfect weather for a walk. Pikachu had three footprints under it, but it was there and Phil had the whole evening to hunt.

A little after sunset, Phil was scouting his way through the shipyard looking for the elusive Pikachu. It should be right here. Somewhere very nearby. 

He took a full moment to question his life choices when he heard a gun cock behind him and realized he’d been too distracted by his Pokemon hunt to notice the two… no make that three men hiding in the shadows around him.

Phil put his hands up and turned around to face the man. He was wearing a ski mask. Good God, what was this? Amateur hour? Phil laughed at himself. He had just let three punks get the drop on him because he was playing a game. Yes. It was definitely amateur hour.

The man, lowering his voice in a ridiculous attempt to disguise it, said, “Give me your phone and your wallet and nobody has to get hurt.”

Phil regretted that he was not armed, but on the other hand, fewer guns in play would make this safer for everyone.

He took a step forward. “But I’m just looking for a Pokemon. Please. I haven’t done anything. Can’t I just go?”

He took another step closer. Two more and he’d be fine.

The man said, “Stop right there! Empty your pockets. Now!”

Phil took another step and kept his hands up for the man to see. “Please. I won’t say anything. Just let me go.”

The man opened his mouth to say something else, but Phil was close enough now to act.

In one smooth movement, Phil stepped forward and swept the legs out from under his assailant, and caught him by the arm holding the gun as he fell. Using his free hand, he elbowed him in the nose, breaking it and blinding him with blood. One of the other assailants let out a war cry and charged towards him wildly swinging a knife like he’d seen too many action movies. Phil shot him in left kneecap, took aim at the third, then shot out the pulley system that was supporting the rigging above him, causing it to come crashing down and tangle him up. 

He called out in a clear commanding voice. “At this point, I would like to advise all of you to stay where you are and not make any sudden movements. Right now, the only charge against you will be attempted robbery. Any aggressive actions will only make things worse for you. Do you agree to surrender?”

The man with the shot kneecap called out. “Fuck yes! Just call an ambulance or something you fucking asshole.”

Phil made eye contact with the man trapped under the rigging. “I’m afraid I had to shoot your friend over there. Would you be so kind as to make your way slowly over to him and assist with applying pressure to the wound? If your shirt is clean I would suggest using that to reduce the risk of infection.”

From behind the building, a fourth man appeared. He put his hands up and stepped into the light of one of the few working streetlights. He called out, “Agent Coulson?”

Surprised, Phil tried to identify the newcomer, but he was too far away for Phil to see distinctive features and he didn’t know the voice.

Phil called out, “Yes. Who are you?”

The man jogged across the shipyard toward him. “Sorry, sir. Agent Barton. I don’t think we’ve been introduced.”

Phil took another minute to really truly regret his life choices. The regret wasn’t an unusual occurrence, but to have two separate incidents in one night make him do it clearly marked today as a special day. “Agent Barton. What brings you out this way?”

Barton looked down at his feet and rubbed his neck. “I think I saw the same shot at a Pikachu you did? Looks like these dumbasses had other ideas. I'm a little surprised to see you of all people out here, though.”

Grinning, Coulson shrugged. “Why? Am I too old for Pokemon?”

“What? No! Of course not. I just wouldn’t have thought someone like you would play some kid’s game. You’re, you’re, you’re...” Clint tried to find the right words but was at a loss. 

He’d never had a chance to work with Agent Coulson. The few times Clint had seen him around SHIELD, the guy had looked like your typical bland paper pusher. Wandering around a shipyard hunting Pokemon was the last place he’d ever expect to see the agent. Watching him effortlessly take down all of those guys had left Clint feeling very warm and curious to know what else was hiding under those suits. 

“I’m what, Agent Barton?” The teasing grin was still there on Coulson’s face and Clint found he really liked it. 

“You're the guy with the paperwork.” Clint smirked at Coulson “I figured thick books with big words and classical music, not an urge to catch’em all.”

Coulson snorted. “Late nights on ops with nothing but infomercials and cartoons playing on some crappy t.v. can get a person hooked on strange things. I watched all of the original series and got hooked. It was surprisingly good.”

“Shame it wasn't Sailor Moon.” Clint cursed his slip of the tongue. He hadn't meant to say that out loud, but he liked picturing Coulson watching cartoons and waiting for Tuxedo Mask to show up. 

“Pokemon wasn't the only cartoon playing. I know all about moon prism power. I just liked Ash, Misty, and Brock’s adventures better.”

There was a pained groan from nearby. “Either of you fuckers gonna actually call an ambulance.”

“You're not going to die from a bullet to the knee.” Coulson had already begun dialing as he spoke, turning away from the thieves. 

As Coulson talked to the 911 operator, Clint moved toward the wounded thief and crouched down. “Could be worse, man. Could be an arrow.”

The man let out another groan. “Fuck you.” 

Standing, Clint shook his head. “Well, that was disappointing.”

“What was disappointing?”

Flinching when Coulson’s deep voice sounded next to his ear, Clint yelped. “Shit! How’d you do that?”

Standing at Clint’s side, Coulson surveyed the scene before him. “Do what? Walk up to you?” 

“No, you just appeared from out of nowhere. Give a guy a warning next time.”

Coulson’s lips curved up in a smirk and he leaned in close again. “I’m an agent of SHIELD, I know how to walk quietly. Don’t worry, Barton, I’m sure you can learn.”

Clint gulped and tried to breathe. With Coulson this close he could feel the warmth coming from the man, and he found himself resisting the urge to lean into him. Watching him take down those thieves had been intoxicating. Coulson hadn’t even blinked, he’d just disarmed and subdued all three men and taken control of the situation. 

Shaking himself, Clint nudged Coulson. “I’ll have you know I have no problem being silent.”

“I’m sure, Agent Barton. Now, what was so disappointing?”

“Your thief didn’t let me make my Skyrim joke. I’m an archer, do you know how often I get to make an arrow joke?” Coulson stayed silent, and Clint continued on. “Almost never! And here, I had the perfect opportunity to make an ‘arrow to the knee’ joke, and Mr. Bad Thief ruined it!”

Coulson took in Clint’s exasperation and began to laugh. As the laugh faded out to a quiet huff, Clint found he wanted to make it happen again and happen often. When Coulson laughed, his eyes crinkled at the corners and shined a brighter blue and his smile became warmer and made Clint want to stay close. 

Flashing lights pulled up behind them and Clint stepped back to watch Coulson direct the police and EMTs to the thieves. One of the cops pulled Coulson aside and Clint found himself drawn to the way Coulson handled the officer: able to joke with him as the thieves were loaded into the ambulance and police car.

While he waited, Clint found an outlet to plug in his extra battery pack and pulled up the Pokemon Go app. Thanking his lucky stars the servers hadn’t gone down again, he surveyed the map and noticed there was a Pokestop not too far away and in a much nicer area. Flicking his eyes up to locate Coulson, Clint wondered if the agent would want to continue hunting, and if he would want to go hunting with him. Pikachu was lost, but it looked like there were a few ghost types hanging about.

********

Phil had to give the officers his official statement -- and a 101 about Pokemon Go to explain how the thugs had known where to wait.

“Do you have a photo of the, errr, ‘pee-ahh-chu’ that the assailants were holding hostage,” one of the officers asked.

Phil took a breath and tried again.

The explanation of the game took longer than submitting the forms for discharging a firearm while off duty. 

By the time everything was done, he’d lost valuable Pokemon hunting time and he cringed to think how Nick was going to laugh tomorrow when he saw the report about his weapons use. Phil trudged back the way he came. His phone had a bit of battery life left and there was a Pokestop not too far away, maybe he could salvage something of the night after all?

He was surprised to see Agent Barton sitting on the shipping crates near the building entrance, but as he looked more closely, he smiled. Well wasn’t that clever. He’d found an outlet to recharge his phone and his extra battery pack. 

Barton flashed him a smile that was equal parts cocky and shy. He hopped eagerly down from the crates and then leaned very casually against the wall. “That was fast! I thought I’d have enough time to get my second battery back fully charged before they let you go.”

His smile was contagious and Phil felt some of the day’s stress start to seep away. He shrugged. “I keep a copy of the ‘firearm discharge’ forms saved on my phone with all of my personal information and clearance already inputted. Being able to send that directly to the officer and his supervisor sped things along.”

Clint blinked at him once and then burst out laughing. “So you are both the king of paperwork that the rumours make you out to be and a badass boss in the field? Shit, sir. You really got it goin’ on!” 

Phil tried not to blush. He knew he was good at his job. He had once responded to a compliment from Nick by saying ‘you didn’t hire me for my looks.’ But Nick had looked at him seriously and said, ‘Yes I did. Part of your magic is that nobody notices you.’ The conversation had moved on and Phil hadn’t thought anything of it. He was used to not being noticed and he knew it was a skill. So having the admittedly hot young junior agent not only notice him but flirtatiously eye him up and down, was not the kind of attention he was used to. 

He knew Barton couldn’t be serious about flirting with him, but he was feeling good about taking down the thieves, good about being ready with the reports, and good about the playful flirting, so he leaned in a little closer and played it up. He dropped his voice and purred, “Would it impress you more if I told you there was a Pokestop not too far away that gives out a statistically high number of lucky eggs?”

Clint laughed a big belly laugh and had to put his hand on Phil’s shoulder to keep his balance. His laughter was contagious and soon Phil was holding on to him as well. When Clint caught his breath and wiped away his tears, he was close enough that Phil was able to get his first good look at Clint’s eyes: they were kaleidoscope blue and sparkled like sapphires. One part of his brain said, ‘he’ll need contacts if we ever send him undercover.’ Another part of his brain just stopped functioning as he got lost staring into their sparkling depth. 

Clint had still not let go of his arm. “So, hot, responsible, badass, and has a sense of humour. Sir, I can only assume you don’t wear a wedding ring at work because it’s against some obscure regulation only you know exists?”

Phil chuckled and had to remind himself to step back. It wouldn’t do for Barton to realize that he wasn’t entirely joking with his half of the playful flirtation. “The regulations only apply for field work, so anytime you aren’t in combat gear you are welcome to wear your wedding ring. I, however, am married to my job so my ring is more of a badge; which, coincidently, I also only wear when I’m not doing field work.”

Clint chuckled. “Good to know. So, does the badass, funny, king of paperwork actually know about this mythical Pokestop, or is it just a trick to get me to follow you back to your place?” He gave Phil an over the top wink. “Because, I gotta say, if that’s what you’re going for, you don’t have to work so hard.”

Phil smirked and turned away. He looked back over his shoulder and said, “Follow me and find out.”

Clint laughed again and a moment later was bounding after him.

Of course, there really was a Pokestop that Phil had managed to get lucky eggs at one out of every ten spins, so he led the way. He didn’t know if it was actually a glitch in the programming or if he’d just gotten very lucky, but it was worth a try. And a chance to spend more time with his attractive new Pokemon friend was not to be passed up.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning Clint woke up alone in a strange bed and stretched. Last night had been the best night he’d had in years. Of course it would have been better if Phil had actually been flirting with him instead of just being friendly, but it had still been a great night.

Phil had shown him around this part of the city and walked him through the most efficient route to hit Pokestops. He had gotten one lucky egg (not from Phil’s lucky Pokestop, but he wasn’t complaining) and they’d stayed out until the first rays of sunlight started to peek over the skyline. At which point Phil had walked him back to headquarters and used his senior agent magic to secure them both visitor quarters so that they could catch as much of their missed sleep as possible. Clint was pretty sure he was ready to marry Agent Coulson. He was a magician who could make pretty much anything happen.

**********

Phil’s alarm went off exactly 35 minutes before his first meeting. He rolled out of bed before the beeping finished and by the time his door swung open to admit his first team meeting, Phil had shaved, brushed his teeth, showered, obtained one of his back up suits from his office, and was munching his way through his third donut while drinking coffee and responding to the emails that had come in overnight.

By mid afternoon, Phil was starting to feel the fatigue from the night before, but he had worked harder on less sleep so he plowed on. There was a knock at his door and without waiting for a response, Jasper Sitwell strolled in. He took two steps, stopped, and raised an eyebrow at him. “You working a mission I don’t know about, Coulson?”

Phil took a fortifying sip of coffee. “No. Nothing’s happening off the books.”

Sitwell lowered himself down in the chair across him his desk and raised an eyebrow at him. “We could play 20 questions, or you could just tell me why you didn’t go home last night.”

Phil slid a file over to Sitwell. “It would be a better use of our time to discuss the situation in India.”

Jasper’s lips twitched in a smile and he didn’t look down at the report. “Probably, but I’m much more interested in this story.”

Expression blank, Phil finally looked away from his computer to meet Jasper’s gaze. “Are we really doing this?”

Jasper sounded close to gleeful. “If you’re pushing back this hard it must be a good one. You get a new boyfriend, Phil?”

Phil smirked. “Oh, you are going to be so disappointed by the answer to your questions. Are you sure you wouldn’t rather just go on imagining that I actually have a social life?”

Linking his fingers behind his head, Jasper leaned back and smiled broadly at him. “Two men at once? You went out to a club and spent all your money on strippers? You finally put Agent Fitz from Engineering R&D out of his misery and let him spend the night on his knees worshiping your body?”

Phil made a face. “You can’t actually believe I would do any of those things.”

Jasper smirked. “I’m still betting you’ll cave to him eventually. He’s a good looking guy and, if the gossip is even half true, he’d let you do anything you wanted to him.”

Phil winced. “Agent Fitz is a brilliant agent and I strongly believe that those rumours were started by the Bio-Chemistry department. You know Engineering and Bio-Chemistry like to pick on each other. I will continue to do Agent Fitz the courtesy of pretending not to know about the gossip.”

Jasper guffawed. “You do know you are the only person who believes that, right? I was there. I personally heard him say--”

Phil cut him off just to stop him talking. “I was out hunting Pokemon.”

Jasper gaped at him like a fish. “Wait, what? You were, what? You were… Nope. I can’t do it. I can’t even finish that sentence. I know you’re a dork Phil, but that’s too tween geeky even for you. Surely no respectable agent who hunts real life monsters for a living would be out hunting…. Nope. I still can’t say it.”

Phil tugged his cuff links straight. “I’ll have you know that Pokemon Go is a cultural phenomenon that has wide demographic appeal. The majority of the adult players are over age 25. More hours are being spent online playing Pokemon Go than are being spent on Twitter and it has more total downloads in less than one week than Tinder has had since the day it was launched. I spent the night playing with Clint, who is the greatest marksman we’ve ever recruited, and if an attractive young agent like him can enjoy hunting digital monsters, why can’t I?”

Jasper stared at him dumbfounded for a moment before a smile slowly started to spread across his face. Phil did not have a good feeling about that smile. Jasper drawled, “Attractive young man is he? Interesting,” he elongated the final word, giving it all kinds of meaning the dictionary did not intend.

Phil kept his face blank but winced internally. Jasper was his right hand man because he didn’t miss much. Today, he wished his right hand was a little less observant. He’d expected Jasper to focus on the stats and figures he had at his disposal, not his (more candid than intended) description of Clint.

Jasper grabbed his tablet and stood up.

Phil said, “We still need to go over the reports.”

Jasper winked at him. “With all due respect sir, I am still slightly more frightened of Maria Hill than I am of you, and I don’t think she would forgive me if I withheld gossip like this from her for a minute longer than I absolutely had to.”

Phil growled. “Jasper.”

Jasper just laughed and moved towards the door. “We’ll buy the drinks on Friday, assuming you can take time out of your busy monster hunting schedule for your two best friends. Of course… if you end up hunting Clint’s mythical one eye’d snake, we’ll understand.”

Phil stood up. “Jasper!”

Jasper opened the door to Phil’s office and called back. “Don’t worry, sir. I’ll get right on pulling that Agent’s personnel report too. Make sure we have all the intel we need!”

Phil flopped back in his chair. Why was he friends with these people? Why?

**************

Clint spent the day training. Nine months on the job and he still spent more time filling out paperwork than doing actual spy stuff, but it wasn’t bad. The people were good. The food was good. The benefits were good. The paperwork was… excessive. But he was learning to deal with it.

It was a good thing today was just boring training because his mind kept wandering back to the night before. 

Phil was amazing. He was smart, funny, gorgeous, kind, sweet, beautiful, he was… amazing.

Clint had established every way he could, short of directly asking, that Phil was in fact single and gay. And this morning he’d taken advantage of the boring policy training to clarify with the instructor what the agency dating rules were: a boss wasn’t allowed to be in a relationship with their direct report. Pretty much everything else was fair game. The instructor kept talking, but Clint let his mind wander, remembering his favorite moments from the night before.

Phil had shown him all around the area and then Clint had taken Phil over to some of the rougher neighborhoods that he usually frequented. Since Pokemon Go had such a large following in its first few days, Clint had come up with the idea of putting lures on Pokestops that were near homeless shelters and other charities. On Sunday he’d spent all afternoon going between the different soup kitchens that he supported and putting out lures to attract attention. The volunteers had handed out more pamphlets in one day than they usually did in a week and had collected extra donations as well. 

He’d been worried Phil would laugh, but Phil had just looked at him for a moment and smiled a little. It was a different smile than any of the others he’d seen from Phil. It was soft and gentle, like a secret shared between friends and it made Clint’s heart swell. Then he had opened up the reddit ap on his phone and posted the suggestion on several boards, encouraging people to do the same. Then he’d gone on twitter and linked the post. Turned out CapAmericaFanboy had several thousand followers and a knack for making posts that went viral. And yeah, that was the moment that Clint realized he was definitely smitten. 

Lost in his thoughts, Clint almost missed the instructor calling the training session to an end. Clint waited for everyone to go, telling them he’d see them later. He took advantage of the empty room and tilted his chair back on two legs to think. The instructor’s words about dating echoed in his brain and reminded him there was truly nothing stopping him from asking Phil out on a date except his own nerves. He wasn’t exactly sure what he was nervous about. Things had flowed easily between him and Phil last night. Clint hadn’t felt self-conscious or awkward at all with the older man. Things had clicked right into place and they had been able to walk around town, hunting Pokemon, and joking as if they’d known each other forever. 

Setting the chair solidly back on four legs, Clint ran a hand through his hair, stood, and stretched. He was going to do it. He was going to find Phil’s office and ask the man out. Just because Clint was a “baby” agent didn’t mean Phil would only see him as that. Clint was the best marksman SHIELD had, and he picked up the spy training like he’d been born into it. His trainers had had no trouble telling him they thought he would move up the ranks quickly. 

As he walked through the halls, every so often peering into an open door, Clint decided it was for the best to not think about all the reasons Phil wouldn’t want to date him. Instead, he focused on locating the man’s office. Phil was a senior agent, so he had to be upstairs. Probably in one those big offices with windows and a big desk perfect for all sorts of things... Clint’s mind began to wander to what could be done under and on a big wooden desk and had to stop himself from following that train of thought too far, otherwise the situation in his pants was going to get uncomfortable.

Stepping out of the elevator on the next floor, Clint spied Agent Sitwell leaving an office with a big smile on his face and saying something about intel. Word around SHIELD was that Sitwell and Coulson were close, so Clint began walking toward him, hoping the office he’d just left was Coulson’s. When they crossed paths, Clint would swear Sitwell checked him out and Clint really wasn’t sure how he felt about that. 

Stopping in front of the door Sitwell had left, Clint took a deep breath and raised his fist -- and hesitated. Should he really be doing this? Phil was a badass, and smart, and cool, and way out of his league; but his smiles were beautiful, and Clint really wanted to see how many times he could make Phil smile. So, the answer was, yes, he should do it. 

Clint knocked on the door and he heard Phil call out, “Come in.”

Phil said warmly, “Agent Barton, what a pleasant surprise. What can I do for you?”

When Clint met Phil last night, he’d been dressed down, no tie, shirt open, sleeves rolled up and suit a little rumpled. This Phil looked like he’d walked out of a GQ photoshoot and Clint regretted not finding a bathroom to take care of things first. He was a young virile man and goodness know the past 24 hours had given him plenty to think about.

If this conversation went where Clint wanted it to, as tempting as it would be to play out those fantasies about Phil’s desk, he might have better luck getting lucky somewhere outside of work. Clint flashed him a smile, “Just wondering if you have time for a coffee, Phil? I know I’ve been guzzling the stuff all day, but the coffee here is kind of shit and I’m done training for the day.”

Phil flashed him a bright smile. “That sounds great and I know just the place.”

Phil’s secret coffee spot turned out to be a hole in the wall cafe that he said was just a short walk away from SHIELD headquarters. Inside the office Phil had asked him how his training was going and what he thought of the range facilities, but once they got outside he switched to Pokemon Go.

Phil said, “I was thinking about what you said yesterday about putting the lures outside shelters to attract attention and it’s a great way to get people to go places they don’t usually go, but what about people who can’t move? We could go to some of the hospitals around the city and post lures there so that way kids who are stuck inside could still be able to play.”

Clint put a hand on Phil’s arm to stop him walking. “Phil, I’m sorry, but you can’t say things like that without expecting some kind of reaction.” He leaned in a little closer and whispered. “And since I already know you are badass, smart, and funny, being kind is just too much to expect me to resist.” 

Clint was dangerously close to going for it with Phil. This man was incredible and Clint was never too scared to take the leap when the moment called for it... 

Phil said gently, “Clint--”

But Clint cut off whatever he was going to say next by pressing their lips together. 

Phil gasped and Clint took the opportunity to deepen the kiss and press his body against Phil’s. He had wanted to feel that solid muscle under his hands for so long and now that he finally did, the desire coursing through him for more was overwhelming. He wanted to hear what Phil sounded like when he was coming apart with pleasure. 

Phil moaned at the contact and for a moment his hands spasmed tightly on Clint’s arms, pulling him close, demanding more. 

But then Phil was stepping away. His hand’s still on Clint’s arms, but now holding him at a distance instead of pulling him closer.

Phil said, “Clint, I’m sorry, but we can’t do this.” His eyes were blown wide with desire and his hands on Clint’s body didn’t feel like a ‘no’.

Clint stayed where he was and didn’t push against Phil’s grasp or pull away. “I asked, Phil. It’s okay. HR says there are no rules against dating within the agency.”

Phil ran his hand down Clint’s arm in a gesture that was probably supposed to be reassuring but felt more arousing than anything else. “I know. But optics matter. I looked you up, Clint. You’ve got a lot of potential and you’re going to be under my command tree. It wouldn’t look good.”

Clint forced himself to look away because he knew if he continued to look into Phil’s eyes, he’d want to argue and push for Phil to give him, give them, a chance. Gently backing out of Phil’s grasp, and putting a little more distance between them, Clint elected to take a moment and quickly review his options. 

He easily discarded any scenario that left him without Phil, or would result in anger or hurt feelings, and chose the one that would maximize how much time he got to spend with Phil on a regular basis. Clint plastered on a smile and forced himself to lift his head and meet Phil’s worried gaze. “I understand, Phil. I’ll back off. We can still be friends though, right? Still go out and hunt some Pokemon?”

Phil’s smile was bright and he took a step closer to Clint. “I’d like that, Clint. Still want that coffee?”

“Like you wouldn’t believe.” Happily, moving back to Phil’s side, Clint followed him to the coffee shop, chatting as they walked about the likelihood of finding specific Pokemon in certain places. Clint blushed as he mentioned his hopes of finding a Growlithe and how, so far, none of the gas stations he’d been to had paid off. 

After ordering their coffees, Phil smirked and asked. “So, if you’re that eager for a Growlithe, how many Eevees do you have?”

Cheeks heating again, Clint mumbled. “Something like 4 or 5…” When Phil began to laugh, Clint took a sip of his coffee and let out a little happy moan as the warm, delicious mix of sugar and coffee hit his tastebuds. Taking a second sip and moaning again, he added. “You just wait until I’ve got a Jolteon, Vaporeon, and Flareon and have taken all the gyms. We’ll see who’s laughing then.”

Phil took a large drink of his own coffee, studying the cup intently, fingers tight around the handle. “You’ve got me there.” 

Grinning in victory, Clint finished his coffee and continued to talk as Phil drank the rest of his. After they returned their cups, Clint pulled out his phone and opened the app to see if there was anything nearby and to work on hatching the eggs he had incubating. 

********************

Phil walked alongside Clint in awe at the way he moved deftly through the people on the sidewalk without once looking up from his phone. As Clint groaned in disappointment at the sheer amount of Pidgeys and Weedles that were around, Phil was tempted to hang back just a step or two so he could watch Clint’s ass in his very well fitting tac pants. 

Reminding himself that he should not be thinking those things about someone who was supposed to be just a friend, Phil forced himself to keep pace with Clint. He breathed a sigh of relief when they reached the office and had no choice but to go their separate ways. Phil was contemplating utilising the lock on his office door for some privacy when he heard a voice calling his name and saw Clint jogging back down the hallway towards the elevator. Phil put his hand out to hold open the doors. 

“Clint? What are you doing?”

Cocky smile in place, Clint said, “I need your number. I’m not a telepath and unless you are, we need a way to get in touch if we want to go hunting.” He passed Phil his phone. “I made you a contact already, just add your number.”

Feeling embarrassed about the obvious oversight on his part, Phil quickly entered his number and handed Clint back his phone. 

Clint waggled his eyebrows. “You’ll answer when I call, right? Even if it’s some strange time of night? You never know when those rare Pokemon will show up.” 

Before Phil could say anything else, Clint hopped out of the elevator and let the doors close behind him.

When he got back to his office, Phil took a seat intending to work on clearing the paperwork he’d been working on when Sitwell had interrupted. Instead, Phil sat there, open file on his desk, pen in his hand, unable to stop thinking about Clint. 

“Focus, Coulson. The sooner you get this done, the sooner you can go home.” Putting pen to paper, Phil tried to let that be reward enough. He was tired, he deserved a good night’s rest in his own bed, especially after apprehending those thieves. He was determined not to let his mind travel down the path of wondering when Clint would call.

*********************

Clint didn’t wait long to call Phil. He’d just gotten home and filled a couple bottles with water when he fished the ringing phone from his pocket. Putting it on speaker, he listened to it ring and put together a quick sandwich for dinner. 

“Clint, this had better be you.” Phil’s voice sounded tired, and Clint began to wonder if he should hold off on asking Phil to go out hunting until another night, they had had a long night, the night before. They could both use some sleep.

“Of course, it’s me. You get that many telemarketing calls? I would have thought a big, bad agent like you would have an unlisted number.” Clint tried to keep his voice light and teasing, but he was a little worried he’d called too soon.

Phil’s voice became happier as he answered. “My number is unlisted, but I’ve been jumping every time my phone’s rung. I gave you my number but you didn’t give me yours, so I’ve answered every call today which means I’ve been roped into extra duties.”

Clint winced. “Looks like I owe you for adding to your paperwork.” Clint hopped up on the counter and ate a few chips off his plate.

“You most certainly do. I think it’s only fair that you have to drop the next three lures and give me first shot at whatever appears.” 

Clint laughed. “Three lures? Really? How about two lures, and you can have first dibs on our next three outings?”

“You’ve got yourself a deal.” Clint bit into another chip with a loud crunch and Phil asked, “What are you doing?”

“Eatin’ dinner. Didn’t think you’d hear it with my phone on speaker.” Clint dropped the chip he’d been about to eat and switched off speaker, bringing the phone to his ear. “You have my undivided attention now.”

“You don’t have to stop eating on my account.” 

Phil sounded truly apologetic, and Clint tried his best not to chuckle. “Phil, I called you, remember? And it’s a sandwich and chips, not exactly a hot meal threatening to go cold. I actually called to see if you wanted to go out hunting tomorrow?”

There was the sound of pans on the line and Clint figured Phil was getting his own dinner ready. “Sorry, what? Let me put you on speaker while I get my dinner ready.” There was a short pause, and Phil added, “okay, I’m ready.”

“I wanted to know if you wanted to go hunting with me tomorrow after work?”

“I’d like that, Clint. I don’t know what time I’ll be finished tomorrow, but I can call you when I’m leaving?”

“Sounds good to me. I’ll let you get back to your dinner now. Bye-”

“Wait! We don’t have to hang up just yet, with the phone on speaker, I can talk and cook at the same time.”

Clint wasn’t sure why Phil wanted to keep talking to him, but he liked it and they continued to chat as Phil cooked. It was amazing how easily the conversation flowed between them. Clint asked Phil about the story behind his twitter handle, and Clint learned more than he ever expected to about Captain America. From there they talked about first cartoons they remembered watching and what their favorite movies were today; favorite foods and favorite colors came up and Clint gave a rousing defense for the color purple that had Phil in stitches. He liked that he could make Phil laugh and that Phil seemed to want to know everything about him because he wanted to know just as much about Phil.

As he finished telling Phil about his favorite food experimentation using hot chili sauce in ice cream, Phil interrupted, sounding unhappy. “Clint?”

“Yeah?”

“Well, I finished cooking and doing the dishes and I’m afraid if I don’t eat soon this will soon have cooled so much that I’ll have to reheat it all over again so I’m going to have to hang up so I can eat. But I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Oh, yeah, of course. Go and eat, Phil. I’ll see you tomorrow. I’ll come drag you out of your office for coffee. Or, if you’re busy, I’ll see you after work for Pokemon hunting.”

Phil promised he was looking forward to it and bid Clint goodbye. Clint looked down at the phone in his hand shoved it back in his pocket before getting off the counter and putting the water bottles back in the fridge for the next day. 

*******************************

The next day dragged on for Phil. He swore every file took twice as long as usual to go through and each meeting he stepped into was extra tedious. When Clint knocked to go for coffee, Phil forced himself to decline. He knew that if he were to step out, his work would never get done and he’d want to stay late to get it all done. Clint was understanding, thankfully, and even brought coffee back for him and a sandwich that was far too good to have come from the shield cafeteria. 

Finishing the last bit of preparation for an upcoming mission, Phil leaned back in his chair and stretched his neck and shoulders. When he felt the satisfying crack of his joints, he sighed and began securing his office and making sure everything was properly put away. He texted Clint and drummed his fingers on the wood of his desk. Phil urged his computer to shut down faster. 

Once the screen had gone black, Phil was out of his chair, grabbing his keys, and locking his office. His phone beeped with a message from Clint saying he’d meet Phil at the entrance of a park, near where Clint lived, in an hour. Relieved that this gave him some time to change and grab some supplies, Phil texted back that he’d see Clint there and hurried home.

A little over an hour later, Phil pulled into the park and caught sight of Clint sitting on a bench, phone already out. In the fading light, Clint’s hair glowed gold and his shoulders seemed broader. He was in a pair of well fitting black jeans and a purple t-shirt that stretched over his chest emphasizing just how muscular the archer was.

Getting out of the car, Phil felt a little self-conscious in his own old jeans and white button down. Grabbing the backpack he’d packed with water bottles, a few snacks, and two spare battery packs, he told himself, “Get it under control, Coulson. It’s just a friendly outing, nothing more.”

Catching Clint’s eye, Phil waved and began walking over. Clint perked up when Phil waved and popped up off the bench to bound over to Phil. 

“Phil! You’re here!”

Laughing softly, Phil nodded. “Of course, I’m here. I said I’d come, didn’t I? How’s it looking tonight? Lots of people about?”

“Someone has already dropped a lure at the Pokestop at the center of the park, so I thought we could start there. And there’s a good amount of people out. Lots of parents with their kids, so we’ll have to watch our step so we don’t trip over any anklebiters.”

Phil admired Clint’s planning and motioned for him to lead the way. “I’ll follow you. Do you have water? I brought along a couple of bottles.”

Opening his own backpack, Clint revealed his own bottles and smiled brightly at Phil. “Great minds, huh?”

“Indeed.”

Following Clint into the park, it didn’t take long before they were enjoying the game and each other’s company. Phil watched as Clint helped one little girl catch the Butterfree they’d been chasing and felt himself melt a little at the sweet gesture. Shaking himself, Phil knew he needed to keep his thoughts strictly friendly or he would not be able to continue doing this with Clint. After a few hours had passed and they were both nearing the end of their spare battery packs, Phil called for an end to the activities and led them back his car. 

“Do you need a ride, Clint?” Phil hoped he didn’t sound too eager at the idea of giving Clint a ride, but he wanted to spend as much time as he could with him. 

“I live pretty close, so I’ll just hoof it.” Clint ran a hand through his hair and scuffed his feet on the gravel. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Probably,” Phil’s lips curved up in a promising grin. “I’ve got to get coffee at some point.”

Clint’s eyes met his, happiness clear. “Can’t go without it. Who knows what might happen if Agent Coulson were to be improperly caffeinated.”

“Perish the thought. Until tomorrow, Clint.” Phil slid into the driver’s side and waited until he saw Clint begin walking toward a block of apartments before pulling out of the park and driving home. 

********************

The next day was much the same the one before and so was the day after that. Phil had been saying for years that he needed to cut back on his coffee intake and, surprisingly, he was actually doing it. Granted, the fact that Clint was bringing him coffee, water, and food multiple times a day, for the past two weeks, probably had a lot to do with it. Phil almost couldn’t believe how much more awake he was in the afternoons when he ate an actual meal for lunch. Clint’s ability to take Phil’s mind away from work, even for a little while, was also a blessing and kept Phil from getting too bogged down with paperwork, and numbers, and making sure everything went according to plan. 

The only downside of all the time spent with Clint, was that Phil had not been at his usual spot around the coffee pot for a while and Jasper and Maria were quick to notice. One afternoon after Clint had left, grumbling, about filling out yet more of his own paperwork, Jasper slipped into his office and took a seat. Phil waited for him to say something, but Jasper continued to just sit and wait, watching Phil make notes. 

“Are you going to say something, or have you decided it’s more fun to watch me fill out reports?”

Jasper leaned forward and rested his chin in his hands. “I’ve got a question.”

Phil did not like Jasper’s playful tone or the mischievous look in his eye. It was his ‘I see everything’ look and that never boded well for Phil. 

“Go ahead.” 

“Why haven’t you come to the break room for coffee in over a week? Maria and I can only talk about office politics, and who’s fucking who for so long. We need you there to give us something new. You’re the one who always knows what’s going on with the higher ups. You’re Fury’s guy, he tells you everything and you tell us. Maria and I are dying without that information.” Jasper paused and grinned. “Well that’s not quite true. We’ve filled some of the gap discussing the lack of sex between you and Agent Barton.”

Phil groaned, and tried to keep from looking at Jasper. “I’ve been trying to cut back on the coffee and what coffee I have been drinking I’ve been getting from out of the office. I’ll come visit tomorrow and you and Maria can fill me in on all the gossip I’ve missed. Sound fair?”

“Nope. We decided we’re going to buy you drinks tonight and ply you with alcohol until you tell us what is going on between you and Barton.”

Phil believed in picking his battles and the firmness of Jasper’s tone told him that he’d use up a lot of his IOUs if he tried to get out of this one; besides, he had been ignoring his friends. “Fine. The usual place? Nine o’clock?”

Standing, Jasper held out his hand. “Deal.”

*******************

When Phil walked into the bar, Jasper and Maria were already there, drinks in front of them, laughing. Maria caught sight of Phil and waved him over. “Phil! Get your ass over here!”

Trotting over, Phil hopped up on a stool and Jasper signaled the server. “I've got the next round.”

Once the drinks has been dropped off, Phil took a sip and waited for ridiculing to begin. Jasper and Maria were quiet, both slowly drinking their beers. When he couldn't take it anymore, Phil set his bottle down and waved his hand. “Come on. Let me hear it.”

Maria snorted. “What do you think, Jaz? Should we tell him the gossip before or after we pump him for details?”

Jasper eyed him up and down critically before heaving a regretful sigh. “I’ve got to hope that if he was getting laid on the regular he would look a little bit more relaxed than that.”

Maria took a long pull on her beer. “Betting pool is running hot all through ops about which room they’re going to get caught fucking in first. Even R&D and Administration are starting to get in on the action. It would be a shame if it was all for naught.”

Phil groaned. “My sex life cannot possibly be this interesting to this many people.”

Jasper laughed. “While I agree, there is far too much evidence against us. Apparently balding senior agents get a lot of people’s cranks going hot. Which leaves me to wonder why I’m perpetually single, but I guess they know when a man is really just too hot to handle.”

Maria made a show of choking on her beer. “Sure Jaz, you just keep thinking that.”

Jasper rolled his eyes. “But really, poor Agent Fitz has been looking positively hangdog all week, and he’s just the most obvious about it. That girl over in payroll too, a couple of guys in the logistics department, a surprisingly large segment of the wardrobe department, I’m half surprised there isn’t a Phil Coulson appreciation club somewhere at work.”

Phil ran his hand through his hair. “Why am I even here? You don’t need me for this conversation. If I wanted to be mocked and verbally abused I could go back to working on the Stark project.”

Maria tisked and patted his thigh. “You’re here because we are your friends.” She turned her attention back to Jasper. “You are just too famously straight to be invited to the Phil Coulson appreciation club. Regretfully, my efforts at privacy have worked too well and I was made aware of both the Phil Coulson appreciation club and the Sharon Carter appreciation club. It seems junior agents really don’t have enough to do with their spare time.”

Phil tried to change the topic. “You’ll never believe what the junior agents got up to on the Spain mission this week. It tops even our disaster as junior agents in France.”

Jasper ignored him completely. “I’ve heard top odds are going to Phil and Clint getting caught doing the horizontal tango in the range, but I’m betting on Phil’s office.”

Maria considered. “Put me down for the range and the washroom attached to the executive conference room. No way Phil would let himself get caught in his office.”

Jasper got out his phone and started typing. “You say that, but I think Phil’s office kink has got to extend to more than just properly filed forms. I’m going to double down on his office bet.”

“There is an actual betting pool about this?” Phil exclaimed, then put his head into his hands. “And my best friends are betting on it. I’m being punished for something in a previous life, it’s the only explanation.”

Maria said, “We could always ask him. He is right here.”

Phil said, “Oh, am I? I couldn’t tell by the way you are pointedly not talking to me.”

Jasper chortled. “We could, but would that take some of the fun out of it?”

Maria smirked. “That depends, how much money do you have on them having already done the deed?”

Jasper looked at Phil very seriously. “So tell me, my friend, bosom buddy, chum. Have you slept with him yet? Are you going to make me a very rich man?”

“We deserve details, Phil. You’ve been spending an awful lot of time with him, we need details.”

“And none of that basic shit. We want to know everything.”

Phil wanted to bang his head against the bar. “First things first, I’m not fucking Barton. I’m not going to fuck Barton, no matter how much I want to or how much money you’ve put on it. We are friends, that’s all. When we go out, we play Pokemon Go and get food. That’s it.”

Jasper and Maria sat there in shock over his outburst. Their shock lasted all of a minute before they both started laughing hysterically. Phil could only watch them shake and lean on each other before taking another drink from his beer and trying to ignore them.

Feeling a sharp poke in the arm, Phil looked over and saw Jasper leaning just close enough to touch. “Come on, Phil. You don’t usually give anyone that good looking the time of day, I’m almost proud of you this time! And going by the way Barton is always looking at you, the feeling is mutual. You’re allowed to sleep with him.” He bumped Phil’s shoulder with his own but kept his eyes focused on his beer. “I’m being serious here, pal. I don’t even care about the money, you know us, we bet on anything. But damn dude, if I was even slightly leaning that way, I’d want to hit that. What are you waiting for?”

Dragging a nail down the bottle’s label, Phil grimaced. “I know I’m allowed to, but I’m not going to. Clint deserves a chance to move up the ranks without anyone wondering if he just slept his way to the top.”

Jasper started to respond, but Maria jabbed him with her elbow and glared. “Alright, we’ll drop the sleeping with Barton topic, but only if we can tease you endlessly about the fact that you are playing a kid’s game and are taking it seriously.”

“Deal. And it’s not a kid’s game. There are plenty of adults playing too.”

Maria and Jasper shared a look before dissolving into laughter once again. Phil relaxed as they began asking ridiculous questions about his favorite Pokemon and whether or not Phil was going to “catch them all.”


	3. Chapter 3

After the first planned night they spent hunting together, Clint found it easy to find time to see Phil at least once a day, often more as the weeks passed. Spending all of his spare time with Phil just became routine -- the best part of his routine. He still thought the man was amazing, and attractive, and incredibly distracting, but he liked being friends with Phil. He liked their friendship and the way everything just seemed to flow so effortlessly. 

There was plenty of coffee brought back and forth between the two of them, though usually, it was Clint doing the delivering. The first time Phil showed up at the range with two steaming cups, Clint wanted to kiss him. It also became a competition to see who could find the best food in the area. Phil had the clear advantage because he’d lived there longer, but Clint was good at finding the best places for his random tastes. 

The day Clint found a sweet, little, old Spanish woman selling homemade empanadas from her window, he knew he’d won. She’d given him one to taste and the moment he’d bit into the flaky pastry and tasted the well-seasoned beef, he was sure Phil would love it. Phil had been skeptical of the food at first, especially when Clint told him where he’d gotten the empanadas, but after several reassurances that Clint had eaten there and was doing fine, Phil had reached in and taken one. Clint watched with eager anticipation as Phil did his best not to moan out loud at the taste. 

“Told you they were good.” Leaning back in the chair opposite the desk, Clint took another from the bag and swallowed it in three bites.

“Let’s hope they stay good. If we make it until tomorrow without requiring medical attention, I will say you win.” 

“I’ll make you a deal. We wake up tomorrow, you come with me to see Miss Rosa and compliment her cooking before we go hunting.” 

Phil cocked an eyebrow and took another empanada from the bag. “Deal.” 

The next morning when Phil brought doughnuts and coffee to the range, Clint could only smile victoriously. “I’ll text you Rosa’s address.” 

*****************

After Phil gave the proper compliments to Rosa’s cooking and listened to the tough older woman chastise Clint for keeping odd hours and not eating nearly enough, he dragged Clint away from more homemade cooking to take over the nearest Pokemon gym from Team Valor. Phil didn’t think anything of it when Clint laughed and trotted after him, he was determined to prove just how much better his line-up had become, especially now that he’d been able to evolve his Nidoran into a Nidoqueen. 

Once he was in range, Phil got ready to battle. He made sure he was fully stocked on potions and revives and shifted his Pokemon lineup one more time. Phil was so focused, he didn’t notice Clint standing and watching him, a cocky smile plastered on his face. The gym leader’s Vaporeon quickly took down Phil’s Nidoran, but when Vileplume appeared and wiped the floor with the water Pokemon, Phil cheered. A few close calls later and Phil felt immensely satisfied as the gym turned yellow and placed his Nidoqueen up to wait for challengers. 

“Dammit, Phil! I thought for sure we’d have this gym for at least a week.”

“You’re the one who made the questionable choice in picking Team Valor.”

Clint pouted and crossed his arms in front of his chest. “I did and I stand by it. It’s all about training and honing your skill. A Pokemon is only as good as its trainer.”

“Instinct is still the obvious right choice. Just because it’s not popular doesn’t make it any less worthy.”

“Valor is by far the best, everyone else just wants to make it look like we’re the popular choice. Instinct is the Hufflepuff of teams. I had so figured you’d be a Team Mystic guy.”

“What’s wrong with Hufflepuff? Loyalty is always a good quality. And you know, I almost chose Mystic, but Instinct fit better. It’s all about recognizing innate talent and Mystic is too much about evolution.”

Unable to maintain his pout any longer, Clint bent over laughing. “Damn, Phil, you put it like that, and of course you chose Instinct. I’m going to take back my gym now if you don’t mind.”

Phil’s lips twitched up in a crooked smile. “You can try.”

The rest of the night was spent battling back and forth for gym leadership and by the time they were both exhausted and had used all of their potions and revives, Clint had been able to wrest control back at last. “Well fought, Phil, but you’re no match for Team Valor.”

“I’ll concede this round to you, but I’ll be back. 

Clint arched an eyebrow and nodded obnoxiously at Phil as if to say, ‘sure you will.’ 

***************

Walking Clint back to his apartment, Phil didn't want the evening to end. Too soon it would be the start of another day and his next mission was shaping up to be so complex that he was going to have to be in the field for however long it lasted. Not only did that mean a lot of long nights, bad food, and intense risk, it also meant he wouldn't be able to talk to Clint. 

He knew it shouldn't bother him so much, but it did. Clint's bright eyes and clever wit had quickly become the best part of his days and he was loath to go without them for so long. He also had been putting off telling Clint. It was just... he liked his time with Clint. He never wanted to sour it by talking about time they couldn't spend together. 

As Clint fished out his keys, Phil caught his elbow and turned him around. Clint paused. “Everything alright, Phil?”

“Yes, but, I have something to tell you.”

Clint was silent, waiting for Phil to continue. Phil put on his formal Agent face. “I have to leave on a mission this week, and I’m optimistic it will only take a week, but these things often don’t go according to plan, so it could be longer.”

Clint leaned forward and gave Phil’s bicep a squeeze. Phil’s Agent Coulson facade shattered under Clint’s personal touch and soft smile. “Phil, it’s okay. It’s part of the job. I’ll miss having someone to share coffee and hunt Pokemon with, but you’ll be back and I’ll make sure to take over as many gyms as I can so you have a challenge waiting for you.”

Phil couldn’t help but return the small smile. “I look forward to it.” Phil really was looking forward to it. Knowing there would be a friendly face waiting for him when he got back, made going on the mission, not such a bad thing, and would hopefully make it go quicker. 

**************************

Clint spent the two weeks Phil was gone focusing on training and constantly being reminded of just how much of his free time had begun to revolve around Phil. He knew it was a little weird that a baby agent spent so much of his free time with a senior agent, but Phil didn’t seem to mind and the couch in his office had become Clint’s favorite place to do his own paperwork. 

This was the first time since they became friends that Phil had been gone for more than a few days at a time and Clint… he just kept finding himself at loose ends. 

It was a little unsettling. But, it was also an opportunity for him to plow through some of the final pieces of bureaucracy he needed to deal with to get promoted to Level Two and be authorized for field work. 

He wanted to be out in the field (it was practically all the level one agents talked about) but, even more, he wanted to work with Phil. The other baby Agents talked about the types of missions they wanted to go on and where they wanted to be stationed, but secretly, Clint didn’t care about that; he just wanted to work with Phil. 

After buying two coffees for the sixth day in a row, Clint was wandering down the hall (again) trying to find someone to pass it off to when he ran into an agent leaving R&D. He was small and slightly nerdy but in a cute way with brown hair and brown eyes. He also looked a little lost and sad.

“Hey! You want a free coffee?”

The agent looked confused and looked around to be sure he was the one Clint was actually addressing. “Me?” The agent smiled, his Scottish accent becoming a bit more pronounced as he spoke. “Sure. I won’t say no to free coffee.”

“Great. Enjoy.” Clint began walking down the hall, intending to put some more time in at the range to try and distract himself. 

He hadn’t gotten far when the agent caught up to him. “Wait up! You’re Barton, right? The archer?”

Taking a sip of his coffee, Clint said, “That’s me. Can I help you, Agent?”

“Fitz, and I heard you’re playing that Pokemon game.” 

“I am.” Clint started to feel defensive. How did it get out that he played and why was that so interesting? “What of it? I don’t play on SHIELD time if that’s what you’re asking.”

Agent Fitz held up his hands placatingly. “No, not at all. I heard Agent Sitwell talking about how good you and Agent Coulson were at the game and I recently started playing and was wondering if you could help me figure out the basics?”

“Um, sure. How about tomorrow night. We can meet at the park, it’s a good place to find stuff and catch some interesting Pokemon.”

Fitz smiled at him and if the extreme enthusiasm behind the smile was a little intense, at least it seemed genuine. “I’m looking forward to it, Agent Barton.” 

The man who had looked almost mopey before his coffee now looked ready to hop, skip, and jump down the hallway and the fact that Clint had somehow been responsible for that, felt good. “Yeah, no problem. I’ve got an appointment down in the range, so I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Fitz spun around on his heel. “Wait! Before you go, can I get your number? That way I can let you know when I get there.” 

Clint rattled off his digits and had almost made it to the elevator when Fitz called out to him again. “Enjoy the range! I’ll have to come down and watch sometime. I’ve heard you’re the sharpest eyes in SHIELD.”

Clint chuckled and gave a flourishing bow. “I am the best marksman SHIELD’s got. I’m in the range pretty much everyday so feel free to come watch.” Backing into the elevator, Clint hit the button to close the doors before Fitz could say anything else. Fitz was… an odd duck, but he thought he liked him, maybe. 

************************

When the mission ended after two very long weeks, Phil dragged himself home and dropped his suitcase in his bedroom. It was still only early evening, and Clint might be free. Phil yawned so wide his jaw cracked. He should just fall into bed and sleep, but that wasn’t what he wanted, not after two weeks of silence. He took out his phone instead and started a text to Clint. 

He didn’t have to wait long for a response. Clint’s text was enthusiastic and full of exclamation points and words in all caps. Tugging off his tie, he asked Clint if he wanted to meet for dinner and sent him the address of a nearby restaurant. Clint said he’d see Phil there and Phil could only grin sleepily and strip off his jacket. 

Pulling up to the restaurant, Phil saw Clint and felt his heart begin to beat a bit faster. He’d missed seeing those bright blue eyes, and easy smile these past two weeks. Choosing dinner instead of sleep had definitely been one of his better ideas. Clint pushed off the wall he was leaning on when Phil got out of the car. 

“Phil! You’re back! And you’re alive!”

Laughing, Phil turned in a circle as he walked. “Injury free as well.”

Clint actually looked relieved to hear that and when Phil was close enough, he nudged him with his shoulder, hands stuffed in his pockets. “Good. Now, I’m starving, the food here better be good.”

“As if I would ever bring you to a place with bad food.” Opening the door, Phil ushered Clint inside and gave a slight tip of his head to give the archer a good once over. He knew Clint hadn’t really changed in the two weeks he’d been gone, but he’d missed being able to see him every day and he drank up the sight. 

“I know my ass is fantastic, but the nice waiter has a table set up for us.”

Blushing at being caught, Phil followed Clint to the table and took his seat. “Sorry ‘bout that.”

Clint just looked at Phil, mischief making his eyes sparkle. “Don’t be. I know my ass is worth staring at.”

“Yes, well, we’re supposed to just be friends.” 

“Last I checked, friends can tell each other they look good.” 

Unable to come up with a good retort, Phil decided to change the subject. “What are you getting? I’m thinking the ziti, it’s always made fresh and makes me think of home.”

Picking up his menu, Clint pretended to peruse his options. “I think I’m going to get….” Clint paused dramatically, lips curving up in a smile as he looked at Phil through his lashes “the chicken marsala.”

“Good choice.” The waiter came and they placed their orders, and once the waiter had taken their menus and left, Phil asked, “So how much work do I have to do to retake over all the gyms you took over while I was away?”

Cheeks turning pink, Clint took a sip of his water. “Only a few. An agent cornered me one day and asked me to show him the ropes of the game, so I’ve been spending most of my time going out with him to get him started.”

Phil’s shoulders stiffened. Clint was playing with someone else, and it really rankled. He knew Clint was free to play or hang out with whoever he wanted, but Phil had liked that it was just the two of them. Getting a leash on his emotions, Phil fiddled with his napkin. “Oh, really? Which agent?”

“Fitz, from R&D. He’s a good guy. Really eager to please and… he reminds me a bit of a puppy?”

Their food arrived, and Phil dug into his ziti in an effort to rein in his jealousy. After all, Jasper had told him about Agent Fitz, and the rumours about his overzealous need to please and be praised -- Phil did not like the idea of him trying to get too friendly with Clint. Fitz certainly seemed to be willing to attach himself to anyone who would give him the time of day, Phil thought uncharitably. 

“How did he find out about the game? Or that you played?”

Clint raised both his eyebrows in surprise. “You don’t know? Your friend Agent Jasper Sitwell -- although I think you need to seriously reconsider the qualifications for people being your friend -- has been, according to Fitz, gleefully telling anyone who would listen just how much fun you and I have been having hunting down digital monsters. Fitz says that it’s practically all he talks about these days in the senior agent breakroom. But Fitz also says that you haven’t been spending as much time in the breakroom as you used to and apparently senior agents gossip even more than baby agents do? So he thinks Jasper is doing you a favor by making sure everyone knows you’re playing Pokemon.” Clint shrugged. “I don’t think I fully understand the insanity that is senior agent politics.”

Phil swallowed hard. His food tasted like sand going down. He tried to keep his voice casual. “Sounds like you and Fitz spent a lot of time together.”

Clint took a bite of his chicken and shrugged. “I was lonely playing by myself with you gone.” 

“Well, lucky for you, this mission will require plenty of paperwork to get everything cleared, so it will be a while before I'm sent out again.”

Clint grinned around his fork. “Good. I was getting tired of having to give away free coffee because I forgot you weren’t here.”

Phil couldn't help but feel a little good about being missed. “Looks like I owe you two weeks worth of coffee and snacks then.”

Clint winked. “I’ll put it on your tab.”

The rest of dinner passed far too quickly for both of them. There were a few more mentions of Agent Fitz that had Phil stabbing at his food with a little too much force, but Clint was always quick to mention how much he preferred Phil’s company, which helped. Before dessert, Phil couldn’t stop the yawn that escaped. Clint just signaled for the check and slapped a credit card down before Phil could even think of reaching for his wallet. 

“Don’t I have a tab?” 

“Consider this one a freebie. You’re just back and exhausted, I can buy you a meal.”

“Thank you, Clint. Does this mean you’ll let me give you a ride home?”

Blushing as they both stood, Clint nodded and followed Phil out to his car. They continued to talk throughout the drive, Phil telling Clint everything he could about the mission without compromising anything that had happened. As he pulled up to Clint’s building, Phil found he didn’t want the evening to end. It was a familiar feeling with Clint and he wished he could just take Clint home with him. 

He got out of his car at the same time as Clint did and walked him to his door. When Clint reached for the door, he paused, turned to face Phil and rested a hand on his arm. “Phil, I-I’m - I’m glad you’re back. Pokemon hunting tomorrow?”

They were so close, Phil could feel Clint’s exhale on his lips when he spoke. He was almost close enough to touch. “I’d like that a lot.”

The sound of a dog barking broke the spell and Clint fumbled a little putting his keys into the lock. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Phil.”

“Goodnight, Clint.”


	4. Chapter 4

The next day, Phil dropped off a coffee for Clint before hurrying off to his office for his first meeting. Clint’s smile had been nice, warm, friendly, everything that should have left him feeling warm and comfortable inside. But the fact that Fitz was there before he arrived and still there in the range with Clint when Phil had to leave, left a sour feeling in his gut.

*****************

As the doors to the range swung close, Fitz gave a slow wolf whistle. “You are so fucking lucky, Clint.”

Clint chuckled and enjoyed a sip of his coffee. “If I was really lucky, we’d also be fucking, so not so lucky after all.”

Fitz tossed a towel at him. “Oh shut it. Half of headquarters knows what a crush I have on Coulson and all evidence indicates that he sees me as nothing more than just part of the background scenery. He brought you coffee.”

Clint dropped down onto the bench beside Fitz. “He is gorgeous, isn’t he?”

Fitz nodded enthusiastically. “It’s his eyes. They are so calm and pure. Even in the middle of a crisis, if I look into his eyes, I feel safe. Blimey, what I wouldn’t give to see those eyes darken with lust looking at me. I can’t look that man in the eyes without blushing like mad and wishing I could find someplace private.”

“I know exactly what you mean. When I first saw him in action, I couldn't look away. My heart was racing and it wasn’t just from the action. If I hadn’t been worried he’d shoot me if he spotted me lurking, I probably would have stayed in the shadows and gotten off then and there. I've never seen such sheer focus. He made it look so easy.” Clint wiped a hand down his face and looked over at Fitz with a grin as he remembered that night. 

Fitz leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes. “Coulson in action is too sexy for words. But it’s just as bad when he’s at work and when he’s off duty. The man knows how to wear a suit that makes a fellow sit up and take notice, but suits are designed to make a man look good. What’s really unfair is how he can fill out a pair of jeans. Jeans are supposed to be work clothes. They were created for manual labour. They are not supposed to turn a man into the personification of sex. When I saw him in jeans and a button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up? If I’d thought it would have accomplished anything beyond embarrassing me, I would have dropped to my knees and begged him to let me worship his body.”

“Do not even get me started on the rolled up sleeves. Forearms are not supposed to be hot, but he rolls those sleeves so precisely to give you just a glimpse of the strength in those arms. I'm dying to see him in a t-shirt just for the slightest glimpse of his arms.”

“There is no way that man doesn’t know what he’s doing. You can see it in his smirk.” Fitz sighed. “What would you do with him, if you could?”

“There is a very long list, but to start, I think I want him in my mouth. God, I want to know how he tastes. I want to map out of every bit of skin with my mouth and tongue until he can't take it anymore.” Clint closed his eyes trying to imagine what Phil would be like if he ever got the chance to have him. 

Fitz groaned. “Can you imagine being the man who manages to make Coulson lose control? I think I’d think I’d died and gone to heaven.”

“There has got to be something we can do. I don't know how much longer I can take the pining. I like being friends, Phil is amazing and I wouldn't want to lose that, but I know there could be something more there.”

Fitz tossed Clint a bottle of water and cracked one open for himself. “Well if it’s going to be either of us, it’s going to be you. At first, I was jealous that you had just turned up out of nowhere and suddenly this baby agent was admitted into Coulson’s inner sanctum. But then you were nice to me and I got to know you, and if it has to be someone other than me, I hope it’s you. So if you come up with a master plan to snag him, you just say the word if you need help. Just promise that if he has a cousin that’s half as hot as he is, that you’ll introduce me.”

Smiling around his water bottle, Clint held out his hand. Fitz took it and they shook. “You’ve got yourself a deal. Though, there has got to be someone around here, other than Phil who has caught your eye. You’re a good looking guy, I’m surprised you haven’t been snatched up yet.”

Fitz just kind of shrugged. “There is this mechanic, Mack, have you met him? I thought there might have been something there, but… you heard about my drunken confession after my first live op right?

Clint shook his head.

“First time in the field, agents do this thing where all the newbies get really drunk. Well, Coulson was our handler and I was high on adrenaline, so excited to really feel like I was part of the team. It all kind of went to my head and I gave a very impassioned speech about how badly I wanted Coulson to put me on my knees and make me beg to suck his cock.” Fitz was blushing bright enough to rival a tomato or a stoplight.

Clint said, “You don’t have to tell me this. It’s fine.”

Fitz brushed aside his interruption. “Everyone else knows. You might as well too. It just became this, I don’t know, this thing.” He shrugged. “It wasn’t how I really wanted to out myself. Plus, having everyone know that I like to be bossed around in bed didn’t make me a lot of friends. On top of all that, though, my raving about Coulson’s gorgeousness lost me a chance – I think – with Mack, who I actually know. I’m not sure if it was all in my head, but I thought there could have been something between us. He made me weak in the knees, you know. He – he used to call me Turbo. It was the first time anyone gave me a nickname, and I know he gives all his friends nicknames, but I felt like it was more than that. It felt like he wanted to claim me as his when he called me Turbo. But, the more everyone joked about how much I liked Coulson, the less Mack smiled at me and the more he started calling me by my name. Anyway, it all kind of sucked.” His pitiful attempt at putting on a brave face and trying to smile through it actually made Clint’s heart hurt. “But it’s not so bad anymore. I have Simmons and now I have you?”

The hopeful look in his eyes was too much for Clint to stand. He pulled Fitz into a big bear hug. “Of course. we’re friends you goof,” he said gruffly.

Fitz patted him awkwardly and Clint squeezed him a little tighter. “You’re a good guy, Fitz.”

Fitz gave him a couple more awkward pats and Clint eventually let him go. They said goodbye as usual and made plans to talk later, but as he walked away, Clint could see an extra little bounce in his step.


	5. Chapter 5

At the end of the day, Clint was the last one to leave the range. He was used to being the last one to leave, but tonight he had lingered even longer than usual hoping Phil would finish work early enough that they could go Pokemon hunting, or grab dinner together, or something. Phil had gotten back two days ago and since then he had been run ragged doing clean up for his mission. They’d had coffee and gone on a few quick Pokemon hunts, but he missed spending hours together, just the two of them. 

But even if Phil texted him now, they wouldn’t have time for much and Phil really needed sleep more than he needed more Pokemon. 

Regretfully, Clint started packing up his equipment. A quick shower and he’d head home. Maybe hit a few Pokestops along the way, but maybe not. It wasn’t as much fun without Phil and he could catch the latest episode of Dog Cops if he headed straight home.

What Clint wasn’t expecting was to see Senior Agent Jasper Sitwell leaning against the lockers texting on his phone in the dark. As soon as Clint walked in, the motion sensor lights came on, but that wasn’t the point: the man lurking in the shadows was hella creepy. 

Clint froze where he was. A lot of scenarios passed through his mind for why a man would be waiting for him in in the dark in one of the places SHIELD didn’t have security cameras and none of them ended well for him.

Agent Sitwell closed his phone stood up straighter. “Agent Barton, we need to talk.”

Clint eyed the exits. He had several options at this point. It wasn’t all bad. And Agent Sitwell was Phil’s friend, surely this couldn’t be as bad as he was imagining.

Clint didn’t move any closer. “Would you like to go back out to the range to talk? The lighting is better out there,” he tried to make it into a joke but it fell flat.

Sitwell said, “No. I’d like to talk to you about Phil and I’d rather keep this conversation just between us.”

All the sketchy reasons why Sitwell would be waiting for him in a dark room were instantly replaced with all the terrible things that might have happened to Phil. “What’s wrong? Is he okay?”

Sitwell quirked an eyebrow at him. “As okay as any man can be when he’s living off coffee, day-old donuts and working under the all-seeing eye of Director Fury.” 

Clint blinked, unsure what to make of this.

Sitwell said, “Clint, has anyone told you that there are no rules against relationships within SHIELD?”

Clint decided that trying to have a conversation with Sitwell felt like using the staircases at Hogwarts and, rather than trying to make sense of it, he would just go with the flow. He shrugged. “Yes. I know that.”

Sitwell said, “So, Phil can sometimes be an idiot.”

Clint’s first instinct was to leap to Phil’s defence, but from what Phil said, Sitwell was a good friend of his and Clint was already learning not to make assumptions about what he was going to say next; Clint was also good at rolling with the punches. Clint smirked. “True, he picked team Instinct when team Valour was clearly the superior choice.”

Now it was Sitwell’s turn to frown at him. “That’s one of your Pokemon game things?”

Clint frowned at him but nodded. “How can you be friends with Phil and not know that?”

Sitwell smirked and leaned back against the lockers again. “Because I go out on dates that let my little monster out to play instead of ones where I catch imaginary monsters and have to go home to play with my own balls.”

Clint leaned against the lockers nearest him in a mocking mirror of Sitwell’s style. “If you think Phil and I are going out on dates, then you are even more out of touch with him than not just knowing about Pokemon Go.”

Sitwell barked a laugh and said drying. “No. I know you aren’t going out on dates. And I’ve been doing my damnedest to convince the rest of SHIELD that you aren’t going out on dates, but it’s a little like trying to put the genie back into the bottle.”

Clint blinked. “What?”

Sitwell sighed. “Clint, can I call you Clint? You can call me Jasper. I have been friends with Phil for years. He’s a great guy. A little geeky. A little boring, but also reliable. He thinks so fast on his feet it makes my head spin some days, but when everything is calm, you can set your watch by his routines. You know what’s been the only thing to dramatically, and as far as I can tell permanently, change his routine in years?” He didn’t wait for Clint to respond. “You.”

“What?”

“Phil doesn’t want to date you because he doesn’t want people to say you slept your way to the top. And me? I’m a good friend so I’ve been talking myself blue in the face to everyone who would listen trying to convince the world that Agent Coulson, famous for his neat paperwork and efficient missions, is a giant nerd playing a video game with imaginary monsters intended for tweens rather than fucking the hot young thing hanging around his office all the time. And you know who believes me? Nobody. So I’m done.”

Clint went through a range of emotions, but over the years he had been called a lot worse than ‘hot young thing’ and if he was starting to read Jasper right, he was trying to help in his own, unique, Jasperish way. Clint said, “So why are you here?”

“Because I can’t save your reputation, Clint. All of fucking SHIELD thinks you two are going at it like rabbits every time Phil closes his door, and he’s being a moral upstanding idiot about it. I can’t get through to him that he’s not saving your reputation, so I’m going to try getting through to you: if you want him, fight for it because you have nothing to lose, and if you don’t, then make your own decision, but be smart about it, this is a dangerous business and breaking his heart isn’t going to make you any friends here.”

Clint weighed his options. “Are you saying that if I push, he’s not going to push me away?”

“I’m saying that man is desperate to get your dick wet and, if you want to experience what I’m sure will be all the fantastic pleasures associated with that, all you have to do is break down the wall he’s put up convincing himself that he is protecting you.”

Clint bit his lip and purposely let down his guard a bit. “You know I tried once already, right? I got shot down pretty hard.”

Jasper nodded seriously. “I know; but Phil would be the first one to stand in line to tell you that if you really want something, it’s worth fighting for and worth the risk. Also, Phil is in his office and everyone else on the floor has gone home for the day. I’m not saying I have money on your first time together being in his office, but if it were to happen that way, I wouldn’t complain.”

Clint burst out laughing. “You’re a funny kind of friend Jasper.”

Jasper shrugged. “I survived over a decade with SHIELD. None of us are totally sane at this point. Just think about it okay? I’m not saying I can guarantee that you’ll get what you want, but you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take and I think I can guarantee that Phil is not going to make the first move.”

Clint nodded. “I’ll think about it. Either way, I need a shower first.”

Jasper nodded. “Shower is a good idea. Also, bring your own lube. Phil does not keep any in his office and thanks to very thin walls in a hotel just outside Miami, I regret that I know that Phil is very bossy about liking to get fucked very hard and, from my completely academic understanding, that requires a lot of lube.” He winked at Clint, turned on his heel, and left.

Clint heard the locker room door click closed before the image of Phil, splayed out on the bed before him, giving him detailed instructions about just how hard and fast to fuck him, had faded from his mind.

Right. Shower first. Thinking later. Because right now all of his blood flow was determinedly headed south and he wasn’t going to make any good decisions until he had dealt with that.

****************

Phil pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes, wishing he could stop seeing double. He was so exhausted, but Fury was breathing down his neck about getting everything done. The mission had been successfully completed, but along the way, almost everything that could go wrong had gone wrong and almost all of Phil’s contingency plans had been needed. Any mission that went that far off course always left Phil with a lot of cleanup work to do afterward. 

In the last two days, he hadn’t ventured out of his office except for more coffee and donuts, and even those were beginning to taste more and more like cardboard. He missed eating with Clint. He missed time with Clint. He hated the way Clint’s face fell every time Phil had had to turn him down for coffee or cut their time together short. Even their one dinner together his first night back had been a short outing. He wanted more. 

Opening his eyes, Phil took a peek at his phone, hoping there’d be a message from Clint. Even just a picture of Clint’s latest Pokemon would be nice. Seeing nothing but more work emails, Phil shoved his phone to the edge of his desk. He needed to concentrate on getting through the last few items that had to be done today. The sooner he dotted the last few i’s and crossed the last t’s, he could get out of here and maybe see if Clint wanted to meet for a drink or a walk, or something… anything really. He knew it was kind of pathetic how desperate he was for Clint’s attention, but as long as nobody except him knew, he wasn’t hurting anyone. Steeling himself for another complex Request for Information Form, Phil refocused himself on work.

Phil had just finished up that form when there was an insistent knock on the door. Thankful for the break, Phil stood up to stretch and went to the door to open it. Clint was on the other side, standing there, fist raised to knock again. 

Phil’s tired brain fizzled a little at the sight. Clint’s hair was still a little damp like he’d just had a shower and he was wearing a pair of loose black jeans with a tight purple tank top that clung tightly to the contours of his muscles and left every gorgeous inch of his arms on display. 

Clint burst out, “Phil, can we talk?”

Phil motioned him in and closed the door behind him. “Of course. Is everything okay?”

Clint stepped into the office, past Phil and began pacing. “Yes. No.” Clint looked over at Phil, chewing on his bottom lip. “I don’t know.”

Phil watched him pace for a few seconds before catching Clint’s arm and forcing him to stop. “Clint. Just talk to me. We can figure this out, but I need to know how I can help. Is this a SHIELD situation?”

“Kind of?” Clint shook his head. “Not really. Your friend, Jasper, Agent Sitwell came down to the range, and said…”

Phil’s mind started to race about all of the things Jasper might have said to put Clint in this state -- it was a very long list. “Said what, Clint?” Phil moved to stand in front of Clint, closing the distance between them, so he could look right into Clint’s eyes. “Whatever it is, Clint, it will be okay.” God, his eyes were so blue. Phil didn’t let himself look at them often because he could get lost in their depths, but they were gorgeous and it felt like forever since he’d let himself look.

Clint took his hand and linked their fingers together. His hands were so big and strong, the callouses on them different from any other man Phil had known. Rationally, he knew it was the archery, but it was just one more thing that made Clint special and unique.

Clint moved in a little closer and there was so much worry and vulnerability in his eyes. “How can you promise that? You don’t even know what it is I’m going to say.”

Phil didn’t let go of Clint’s hand, but he used his other arm to pull Clint into a tight hug. “Jasper says a lot of things, you’ve got to learn how to take him with a grain of salt. But, whatever he said, I’m sure we can make it better.”

Phil felt some of the tension flow out of Clint’s body as he relaxed into his embrace and he had to stifle a small groan. He was definitely going to remember this later. The way Clint felt in his arms, his head resting on his shoulder. He knew he shouldn’t, but he was so tired and he wanted this so badly, surely just a little longer wouldn’t hurt. He held Clint a little tighter and squeezed his hand. He whispered, “It’ll be okay.” 

Clint lifted his head off Phil’s shoulder looked at him closely. His gaze was so intense it made Phil feel like he was being stripped bare and he could only hope Clint would like what he saw. Clint licked his lips nervously and Phil’s eyes greedily followed the path of his wet pink tongue. 

Clint murmured like it was a prayer, “It had better be,” and closed his eyes. 

Before Phil could say anything else, Clint’s lips were on his.

Instinct and desire overruled anything else and before Phil knew what he was doing he had pulled Clint flush against him and molded his body against the younger man. Oh God, how he wanted this. He wanted it so badly it felt like fire roaring through his veins demanding that he take what was being offered and claim it for his own.

Clint’s arms came around Phil, his fingers scratched lightly at the back of his neck and he deepened the kiss, nipping at Phil’s bottom lip. 

Phil let out a low growl and forced his way into Clint’s mouth. He wanted more. He needed more. He needed Clint in order to live, to breathe. He needed more and Clint gave him more, returning his kiss with all the passion and desire he felt. 

When they finally separated, Phil rested his forehead against Clint’s and breathed hard. Clint was smiling, hands moving up and down Phil’s back. “Thank God.”

Eyes closing, Phil let out a hum. “Hmm?”

“Jasper was right.” 

Nosing along Clint’s cheek, Phil brushed his lips over Clint’s jaw, leaving a line of kisses over his stubble. “Right about what?”

“That if I pushed, you wouldn’t push me away this time.” 

Phil gave a low chuckle and tightened his grip on Clint. “I should. You deserve a chance to make a name for yourself here, but I want you.” 

Phil heaved a regretful sigh and forced himself to loosen his hold on Clint. “But I also know it’s not fair to you. You are a bright young Agent with all kinds of possibilities for the future. You don’t want your career and reputation damaged because you started sleeping with a senior agent before you became a field agent.” 

Phil wanted another kiss. He was so close. It would be so easy. But it wasn’t the right thing to do. “Clint, no one would believe a gorgeous young man like you was dating a balding geeky senior agent because you wanted to. It’s going to look like coercion.”

Clint tugged Phil closer as he began to chuckle and Phil could feel it rumble through Clint’s chest. “Phil, everyone already thinks we’re fucking, and I’m going to have to prove myself no matter what.” Clint slid a hand under Phil’s jacket, fingers tightening in Phil’s shirt. “I want this, Phil. I’ve wanted this since before the first time I kissed you, but I don’t want to ruin our friendship. So if you would really rather just be friends, then be honest and tell me that. But if you are doing this out of some misguided attempt to protect my reputation… Phil, I’m not a damsel in distress, I earned my place here, and I’ll prove it as many times as I have to, so let me fight my own battles. Just be honest and tell me if you want me, because I sure as hell want you.”

Reaching up, Phil cupped Clint’s cheeks and looked into his eyes, and suddenly it felt so easy, to be honest. “I want you too.” Phil leaned in for a quick press of his lips against Clint’s and began peppering them over his nose, and cheeks, and forehead. “I want you so much it keeps me up at night and distracts me during the day. I want you every day. I want to go out with you at night and then take you home with me. I want to spend all day kissing you and all night loving you. I want you, however, you’ll let me have you.”

Catching Phil’s lips with his own, Clint grinned into the kiss. “Not here. As much as I appreciate Jasper giving us a push, I refuse to confirm all those gossiping idiot’s rumors and have sex in your office. At least not the first time. Go back to your place?”

Feeling a little kiss hazy, Phil smiled dreamily and nodded. He grabbed Clint’s hand and went around the desk. When he sat, Clint perched on the edge of the desk. “You’re right. Not here. Let me secure everything, then we can go.”

Getting everything locked up and shut down, as quickly and thoroughly as possible, Phil stood and grabbed Clint’s hand, pulling him to the door. Grabbing his jacket, Phil stole a kiss, and then another kiss. “Do you need to get anything from the range or your locker?” 

Clint shook his head. “No, I’ve got everything I need on me.” Crowding Phil up against the door, Clint whispered in his ear, a slight whine in his voice. “Take me home, Phil. It’s been so long. I want to be with you.”

Fumbling with his keys, Phil got his office locked and dragged Clint to the elevators. 

*******************************

Throughout the ride to Phil's place, Clint could not keep his hands to himself. Phil was completely focused on driving, so Clint reached over and slid his hand up Phil's thigh, fingers moving along firm muscle until he felt the hard line of Phil's cock against his knuckles. 

Clint pitched his voice deep and low. “I can't tell you how many times I've thought about what this would be like with you. I could fill a book with all the fantasies you've starred in.“

Phil flashed Clint a heated look. “Clint, when I get my hands on you, I am going to make sure all your fantasies pale in comparison to how good I make you feel.”

Clint shifted closer. He stroked his thumb firmly over the outline of Phil's hard cock and was rewarded with a small groan. “Tell me more,” he purred.

Phil smirked at him. “The anticipation will make it better. For now, you tell me: what do you like? What's your favourite fantasy?”

Clint hesitated. His favourite fantasy involved Phil splayed out on the bed before him, ass high in the air, slick with spit and lube and invitingly pink, and Phil telling him to fuck him until he screamed. But that seemed like a very specific request for their first time together and he really didn’t want to screw this up. Clint played it safe. “I am flexible. I can enjoy topping or bottoming. Which do you prefer?”

Phil flashed Clint an exasperated glance. “Clint, I have been a sexually active gay man for decades. There is nothing, within reason, that you are going to say that I won't be able to work with, but I do need you to be honest. For example, I can also be flexible, but I have a strong preference for getting fucked and getting fucked hard. Is that something you would enjoy?”

The second Phil said the word, “fuck,” Clint's brain bombarded him with images of Phil underneath him in bed, telling him exactly how he liked it. There was something about hearing such a vulgar word in Phil’s voice that had Clint squirming even more in his seat, desperate for some stimulation. He pressed the heel of his hand against his crotch and groaned. “Yes. Yes, I can do that. And in my favourite fantasy, you are very vocal when I do it.” 

Clint pressed his other hand more firmly against Phil’s cock, mimicking the pressure on his own and continued, “I also really want to get my mouth on you.” He leaned over so he was whispering right in Phil’s ear. “I could do it now. Suck you soft and slow while you drive to make sure you want me just as badly as I want you by the time we get to your place.”

Phil's fingers tightened around the steering wheel and Clint felt the muscles in his thigh tense. “Clint, I need to drive, and would prefer we didn't crash before we even get a chance to see each other naked. Trust me, you don’t need to worry about needing to make me want you more.”

There was a breathless, strained quality to Phil's voice, so Clint reluctantly moved his hand away, giving Phil's knee a gentle squeeze before letting go. Clenching his fists in his lap, Clint tapped his feet and squirmed in his seat, ready to be at Phil's already. Leaning his head back against the seat, Clint closed his eyes. “Drive faster, Phil.”

“We're close, Clint. Be patient.”

Clint barked a laugh. “Phil, I have been patient. I’ve been patient for weeks!”

Phil chuckled at that. “I guess we both have. Don’t worry, you're going to get to fuck me soon enough.”

When Phil finally pulled into the drive and put the car in park, Clint unbuckled his seatbelt and was out of the car like a shot and at the driver’s side pulling Phil out of his seat and kissing him. “Do you have any idea what you cursing like that does to me?” 

Clint ground his hips into Phil’s, hands holding tight to his arms, trying to get as much as sensation as he could. Phil bucked his hips into Clint’s, mouth trailing over his cheek, catching his lips again. “I think you’ve given me the idea. Now let’s get inside. I want you fucking me until I can’t think straight.”

Pulling back, to let Phil out, Clint let Phil drag him inside, already thinking of more ways to get Phil speaking in that low, gravelly voice. A voice like that was pure sin, and Clint was happy to do to whatever Phil told him to do. He followed Phil back to the bedroom, Phil stripping off clothes as he went. The jacket went first, the tie next, followed by shoes. Clint watched the clothing disappear, already hungry to see what lay beneath all those layers. 

Phil started pulling his shirt from his pants and was reaching for the buttons when Clint stopped him. “No! Wait. I want to do that.”

Hands stilling, Phil let the shirttails drop and took Clint’s hand again to continue pulling him down the hall. When they finally reached the bedroom, Clint found himself pressed up against the door, Phil plastered to his front, hands moving everywhere, lips slotting over his, tongue licking its way inside. When Phil got two handfuls of his ass and squeezed, Clint moaned into Phil’s mouth and started doing some touching of his own. He wanted to feel every inch of Phil. Wanted to know just which spots drove Phil crazy and which spots would make his eyes roll back in his head. 

Tearing his mouth away, Clint breathed hard. “Door, Phil. We need to be inside. Now.”

Lips curving up in a grin, Phil opened the door and watched Clint tumble inside. “Better?”

Regaining his balance, Clint reached for Phil and pulled him inside, mouth connecting with Phil’s again. “Much.” 

Walking them toward the bed, Phil’s fingers slid under the hem of Clint’s tank and lifted it over his head. He stepped back and took a long look down the line of Clint’s well-muscled chest and what could only be described as chiseled abs. Smirking, Clint did a slow turn to let Phil see all of him and when he came back to facing Phil, he reached for the button on his jeans and paused. 

There was a hint of red on Phil’s cheeks, and his eyes were wide, pupils blown wide as he watched Clint. “Don’t stop now.”

Stroking his hand up his stomach and over his chest, Clint sighed as his nails dragged over his nipples, before moving back down to his jeans. Clint watched Phil’s eyes follow his hands’ movements avidly. “Come closer.”

Phil took a few, hesitant, steps closer until he was only a few inches apart from Clint. When Clint didn’t reach for his jeans again, Phil frowned, eyes flicking from Clint’s hips to his eyes expectantly. 

Reaching for Phil, Clint pulled him in by the nape of the neck and kissed him softly. “I believe there was something I wanted to do first.”

Cupping Clint’s cheek, Phil took a second kiss. “Anything, Clint.” 

Before Clint could answer, he was distracted by the soft touch of Phil’s fingers over his chest. When Phil’s thumb circled over his nipple, Clint let out an indecent moan and leaned into Phil. “I want-I want, I want you on the bed. Want to get this shirt off you. Button by button, unwrap you and see every last bit of you.”

Climbing on the bed, Phil lay back and waited for Clint to come join him. Clint looked down at the man waiting for him, and his heart skipped a beat. Kneeling on the bed, Clint straddled Phil’s hip, and bent down to kiss him. Leaning on his forearms, Clint made the kiss last. He loved the way Phil’s lips moved against his, tasting and teasing, drawing him closer and closer. When Phil’s arms came around him and pulled him closer, Clint happily went, wanting to feel Phil’s hands over every inch of his skin. 

Eventually, Clint had to pull back from the kiss to remember how to breathe. Sitting up, and looking down at Phil, Clint wanted to remember this image forever. Phil’s eyes were dark with lust; his lips, red and kiss swollen; hands holding tightly to Clint’s hips. Clint began unbuttoning Phil’s, now very wrinkled, shirt. Three buttons open and Clint had to stop at the sight of the dark brown chest hair peeking through. Sliding the next two buttons free, he bent back down and nuzzled against Phil’s chest. 

Clint could feel the hard line of Phil’s cock against his ass, he rocked back a little against Phil as he finished with his shirt. “Fuck, Phil. You’re gorgeous, you know that right?”

With Phil’s shirt spread open, Clint sat in awe of the sight beneath him. Phil’s chest hair continued down his stomach and into his pants; Clint wanted to trace that line with his tongue and see at what point Phil would come apart. Knowing there’d be time enough for that later, Clint went for Phil’s belt, purposely making sure to brush Phil’s cock with his palms. 

Looking up from his task, Clint could feel Phil’s eyes on him and he smiled as he pulled the belt through the loops, and flicked open the button. Sitting up on his elbows, Phil narrowed his eyes at how slowly Clint was moving. “Clint! For God’s sake, I want us naked and for you to touch me already.”

Chuckling low in his throat, Clint met Phil’s eyes, arousal clear. “There you are. I was told you were bossy in bed and was wondering just how long I’d have to draw this out to get you to start barking orders.”

Phil’s head flopped back on the pillows and he growled. “You want bossy. I can do bossy. Get undressed, now.” 

Clint winked and scrambled off of Phil to get out of his jeans. Sliding them down his hips, Phil sat up fully as Clint revealed he’d worn nothing underneath. Taking his cock in hand, he stroked it a few times, making sure Phil was watching as he did. 

“Get back up here, Clint. I’ve been wanting to feel you inside me for months now.” While Clint had been undressing, Phil had managed to start shimmying out of his pants and was touching himself through the fabric of his briefs.

Clint paused in his own ministrations as he got caught up in just watching Phil’s hips move with the motions of his hand. “Clint!” 

Scrambling back onto the bed, Clint grabbed Phil’s wrist and brought it up above his head, twining their fingers together. “What next, Phil?” Clint kissed Phil. “Tell me what you want.” Another kiss, this time at the corner of his mouth. “I’m all yours, want to make you come apart.” Clint scraped his teeth along the line of Phil’s jaw, tongue sneaking out to soothe the sting. 

Phil writhed underneath Clint, trying to bring their cocks together. “Want to feel you move against me, Clint. Nothing between us. Just skin on skin.”

Clint’s lips were on his neck, and he hummed against Phil’s skin, before moving down to Phil’s chest. “Tell me more.” 

Before Phil could say anything, though, Clint rolled his hips against Phil’s, cocks rubbing together, creating delicious friction. “Fuck, Clint. Do that again.” 

Doing as he was told, Clint ground his hips into Phil’s a few more times, thoroughly enjoying the drag of his cock against Phil’s. Sitting up, he settled between Phil’s spread legs and grabbed the waistband of his black boxer briefs. There was a wet spot already forming over the head of Phil’s cock and Clint salivated seeing it. Slowly sliding them down, freeing Phil’s cock, Clint quickly got rid of the briefs and brought his attention back where it needed to be. 

Phil’s cock was a glorious thing. Rising from a dark thatch of curls, and leaking a stream of precum down the shaft, Clint looked up at Phil, wanting permission. Phil gave a curt nod and Clint dipped down and pressed a kiss to the ruddy head. Taking just the head in his mouth, Clint gave a shallow suck and let his tongue swirl around the head, tasting the salty bitterness of Phil. When he backed off and looked up at Phil’s face, Clint felt a little smug seeing the older man’s fists clenched in the sheets, eyes closed, and mouth open in a gasp. 

Clint licked a stripe up the bottom of Phil’s cock and Phil’s hip jerked, wanting more. Letting go of Phil’s cock in favor of smoothing his hand up the underside Phil’s thighs, relishing the feel of Phil’s skin under his fingertips. “Tell me what you want, Phil. I want to hear you scream.”

Planting his feet, Phil pushed himself up and leaned over to the nightstand. When he sat up and pressed lube and a condom into Clint’s hands, Clint surged forward and kissed him. “Get me prepped, Clint. I like it hard and I need to feel you stretching me, making me feel it. I want to feel every last inch of that big beautiful cock sliding inside me.”

Completely speechless, Clint set the condom aside and popped the cap on the lube. “I can do that, Phil. I’m going to make this so good for you. Wanna hear you. Tell me everything you want.” 

Wrapping his arms around Clint, Phil claimed a kiss of his own. “I know you will. You’re such a good listener, and those fingers feel amazing on my skin. I’ve dreamed about what they would feel like inside me. Your thick strong fingers, so dextrous and rough with callouses. I’ve never known another man with hands like yours and I want them. I know you are going to stretch me out beautifully.” 

“You’re gonna be the death of me, Phil.”

“Just so long as you fuck me before you die, we’re good.”

Laughing, Clint nosed along Phil’s jaw. “How do you want me to?”

“On my back. I want to see you.”

“Good.” Clint took the pillow Phil handed him and slid it under his hips. Phil lay back and spread his legs for Clint. 

Looking down at the man below him, Clint couldn’t believe he was actually this lucky. Lifting one of Phil’s legs and setting it over his shoulder, Clint poured out some lube over his fingers and waited a moment for it to become body temperature. 

“Clint, I have done this before, many times, so get started already.”

Kissing the inside of Phil’s knee, Clint reached behind his balls and when his fingers brushed over Phil’s hole, circling the furled muscle with a featherlight touch, Clint was pleased when Phil jerked and tried to move closer. As Phil relaxed a bit, Clint pressed inside to the first knuckle and cursed. 

“Fuck, Phil! You’re so tight.” As Clint pressed a little further, Phil began to relax a bit and after a bit more lube, Clint was able to slide in and out a few times, smoothing his fingertip over the rim, eagerly watching Phil begin to open up for him. 

“Another, Clint. I’m ready.” 

Slicking up two fingers, Clint pushed inside and began to finger fuck Phil in earnest. He scissored his fingers apart every few strokes and watched Phil begin to push back against his fingers. Crooking his fingers, Clint felt for that small bundle of nerves he knew should be close. When he found it and just barely grazed his fingertips over it, Phil went stiff and keened. Clint stayed still and brushed over Phil’s prostate one more time before pulling his fingers back. 

“Clint! Again! And then three fingers.” 

With a firmer touch, this time, Clint moved over Phil’s prostate and watched Phil’s cock twitch and begin to leak more. Pouring more lube, he added a third finger and slid inside easily. 

“Don’t move, Clint.” 

“Phil?” Clint was confused, but as Phil began to fuck himself on Clint’s fingers, he could only watch in awe. As Phil moved, Clint spread his fingers, trying to stretch Phil further. “This is so hot, Phil. Please don’t stop. I could watch you like this forever.” 

Phil’s face was red and flushed, his hair a mess and falling over his forehead as he took Clint’s fingers inside him one more time. Phil’s eyes fluttered closed and he moaned deep and wanton, back arching, feet sliding on the sheets as he twitched around Clint’s fingers. “Clint, I’m ready. I want you to fuck me, and fuck me now.” 

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” Gently sliding his fingers out of Phil, Clint took a few deep breaths and picked up the condom from where it was still resting near Phil’s hip. He only fumbled for a moment to get the package open since his fingers were shaking slightly. Rolling the condom on, Clint slicked up his cock and lined himself up. 

Before pushing in, he arched an eyebrow and just rubbed his cock along Phil’s crack. Phil began to writhe under him, trying to get Clint’s cock inside him. Pushing up on his elbows, Phil grabbed Clint’s arm, fingers digging into his bicep. “Clint, get your dick inside me, now.”

Taking hold of his cock, Clint pushed just the tip inside Phil and cursed. “Fuck, goddamit!” He slid a little deeper and began to breathe heavier. “Yes, Phil. God yes.” 

“Don’t stop, Clint. All the way. All the way in.” Phil’s voice was hoarse, but still commanding as he moved against Clint.

Easing in further, Clint pulled back a little and rocked his hips to push in again. Phil wrapped his legs tighter around Clint’s waist and urged him on. With short little thrusts, Clint continued until he was fully seated and paused. Bending down, Clint brushed his lips against Phil’s, and gave a few short thrusts into Phil. 

Phil slid his fingers into Clint’s hair and brought their lips together again, tongues tangling. “Clint. Fuck me hard. Make me feel it.”

Clint pulled his hips back until he was only barely inside Phil before slamming back inside, making Phil grunt and tighten around Clint. Clint moaned and did it again, angling his thrusts to try and catch Phil’s prostate. Phil’s nails dragged down Clint’s back and he used his heels to bring him closer. 

“Yes! Clint, fuck, yes. Just like that. Fuck me hard!”

Head dropping onto Phil’s shoulder, Clint continued to snap his hips and fuck Phil just like he wanted. “I’m so close, Phil. Wanna see you get off. Please. Want to watch you touch yourself.” 

Getting his hand between them, Phil began stroking his cock. Clint sat up and held onto Phil’s hips, watching his hand hand move over his cock along with Clint’s thrusts. “Yes, Clint. So close. Don’t stop. Just there. Fuck, fuck, fuck.” 

Clint’s hips stuttered as Phil tightened around him when he came, striping his stomach and chest white. Clint didn’t last much longer and slumped over Phil as he felt his own release hit. 

Nuzzling into Phil’s neck, Clint kept his urge to mark Phil as his at bay, though he badly wanted to suck a bruise where everyone would see it and know for sure that he and Phil were together. He contented himself with planting lazy wet kisses on his neck, memorizing the salty tang of Phil’s skin. He knew Phil was his, the same way he was Phil’s. Clint hummed in pleasure as he felt Phil’s fingers moving in circles over his scalp. 

“Perfect, Clint. Absolutely, perfect.” Phil got a grip on his hair and brought their lips together. “Thank you.”

Heart beating faster, Clint looked into Phil’s eyes and saw pure bliss and contentedness there. Feeling astonished by what he saw, Clint couldn’t keep the smile off his face as Phil’s hands wandered over his back and shoulders.

As they both got their breath back, Clint smiled against Phil’s shoulder and gently pulled out. Clint gently stroked his fingers over Phil’s sides and hip, just enjoying how he could feel the slight tremor in Phil’s muscles as he came down from his orgasm. Getting off the bed, he tied off the condom and tossed it in the trash and looked over his shoulder at Phil. 

Phil’s eyes were closed, a dazed smile on his face. He looked completely and utterly relaxed, and Clint was glad he’d been the one to put Phil in that state. Opening a door and finding the bathroom, Clint ducked inside and quickly cleaned up and wet a towel with warm water. When he went back to the bedroom, Phil hadn’t moved, except to toss the pillow under his hips to the floor. The sound of the door closing had Phil turning his head to the side, toward the noise. “Clint?’

“Yeah, just me.” Crawling back on the bed, Clint rubbed the towel over Phil’s chest and stomach. Once he’d finished, he tossed the towel to the floor and pressed his lips to Phil’s shoulder again. 

Phil’s voice was sated and sleepy when he asked,“You’re gonna stay, right?”

“If you want me to.” 

Laying down Clint rested his head on Phil’s chest and draped his arm around his waist. Phil began petting Clint’s hair and holding him close. “I want you to stay, Clint. I’ll make breakfast. Now go to sleep.”

**************************

When Phil woke the next morning, he looked down at the man sleeping with his arms around him and was sorely tempted to hold Clint closer and just go back to sleep. His bladder and internal clock protested this plan vehemently, so Phil began carefully untangling himself from the gorgeous man sleeping beside him. Clint’s grip tightened on him at first and he let out a sleepy whine. Kissing the top of his head, Phil was able to get out the bed and watch as Clint cuddled into his pillow.

Quietly fishing out a pair of sweats and a soft faded tee from his dresser, Phil ducked into the bathroom and after answering nature’s call, eyed the shower, wondering if it would be too loud. Clint had done a pretty good job of cleaning him up the night before, so Phil decided to wait and see if Clint would be up for a shared shower after breakfast. As he was getting dressed, Phil winced as he stretched well-used muscles. He was deliciously sore after Clint had thoroughly fucked him, and Phil smiled at himself in the mirror, more than ready for round two. 

Tiptoeing out of the bathroom, Phil snuck a peek at Clint. Clint, who was now sprawled out over the bed, Phil’s pillow tucked under his head, nose buried in the navy blue fabric of the pillowcase. Phil pulled out a second pair of sweats and a tee for Clint and set them on the end of the bed. He gathered up their dirty clothes and carried them out of the room. He grabbed the clothes he’d stripped off along the way to the bedroom last night and tried his best not to cringe at just how wrinkled and filthy they were. His dry cleaner was going to be very pleased by the amount of things Phil would be bringing later in the week. He tossed Clint’s clothes in the washer and moved to the kitchen to get coffee and breakfast started. 

As he took eggs and milk out of the fridge and fished pancake mix out of the pantry, Phil looked out the window and noticed the encroaching dark clouds. Glad he’d also grabbed his phone on the way out, he opened the Pokemon Go app and while it loaded, he checked the weather. If the fansites were correct, electric Pokemon tended to be more plentiful during thunderstorms. Seeing that, yes, thunderstorms were on their way, Phil started to get excited. They didn’t look to be severe, so maybe a little ride through the rain would be a good idea.

Switching over to the Pokemon Go app, Phil had to laugh as a Pidgey stood on the carton of eggs and looked down disapprovingly. Taking a screenshot, he flicked a Pokeball at it, not really wanting, or needing, another Pidgey, but wanting the candy it would give him. Phil was getting very close to being able to evolve his Pidgeotto to its final stage. Seeing only common Pokemon hanging out, Phil closed the app and poured himself a cup of coffee before focusing on pancakes. He heard the creak of bedsprings and grinned because that meant he’d be seeing a sleep-rumpled Clint Barton in his clothes in only a few minutes. 

As he whisked the batter, there was the sound of a door closing. Setting the bowl down, Phil grabbed a cup and filled it with coffee, adding a splash of milk and two spoonfuls of sugar. He placed it on the edge of the counter where Clint was sure to see it and picked up the batter. By the time he'd added his secret ingredients, Clint was passing into the room, yawning. Phil's whisk stopped mid-stir when he saw Clint. His hair was sticking up at all angles and there were creases on his cheek from Phil's pillow. His eyelids were at half-mast, and when he looked over at Phil they brightened. 

He'd imagined seeing Clint in his clothes before, but seeing it right in front of him was a whole other story. Phil's shirt was a little tight on Clint's muscular frame, and the sweats were hanging low on Clint's hips. Catching him staring, Clint grinned and stretched his arms above his head, making the t-shirt lift up past his stomach. Phil's eyes dropped to the sliver of tanned skin and he licked his lips. 

Taking the cup of coffee from the counter, Clint took a sip and sighed happily as the perfectly prepared coffee slid past his lips. “Are you making pancakes?”

Shocked out of his stupor, Phil looked down at the bowl in his hands. “Yes, family recipe in fact. Pass me the butter?”

Clint handed over the stick Phil had left out to soften and hopped up on the counter, legs kicking as he sipped his coffee. Phil bent over to fetch a pan and heard a whistle behind him. Blushing, he stood and faced Clint. “Enjoying the view?”

“Immensely.” Smiling around the lip of his cup, Clint beckoned Phil closer. 

Unable to resist, Phil set the pan on the burner and went to stand between Clint’s spread legs. “Help you with something?”

Draping his arms over Phil’s shoulders, Clint leaned in, lips only an inch or two from Phil’s. “I believe you can.” 

Closing the distance between them, Phil kissed Clint, thrilled with how easy it was to do. Kissing Clint felt so right. He was ecstatic that Clint was here with him, arms around him, lips moving against his, hands on Clint’s waist. “Helpful enough?”

Voice hoarse, Clint nodded and said, “Yeah, uh, that was great.”

Stepping back, Phil got the pan heating and, after the first dud, he began plating up stacks of round, fluffy pancakes. Clint watched from his perch, Grabbing both plates, Phil walked toward the door. “Come on, Clint. We’re going to eat at an actual table.” 

“Aw, Phil, but I want pancakes now.” Clint hopped off the counter and followed Phil to the table. As Phil set the plates down, Clint looked around and asked, “Syrup?”

Noticing he hadn’t put any on the table, Phil blushed. “Oh, right. Syrup would be helpful.”

Kissing Phil on the cheek, Clint went back into the kitchen and called over his shoulder, “Where is it?”

“Cabinet nearest the fridge.” 

Once Clint had come back and they started eating, conversation flowed between them as it usually did. Phil laughed heartily as Clint told him more stories about training and things he’d seen growing up. Phil showed Clint the screenshot he’d taken earlier and began laughing again as Clint teased Phil about making the poor Pidgey watch Phil crack eggs. 

There was a low rumble of thunder, and Phil remembered his earlier plan, but before he could ask, Clint bounced in his seat. “Phil! There’s a thunderstorm! Electric Pokemon are supposed to be out more during storms. Can we go hunting? Maybe we’ll finally find a Pikachu!”

Smiling at Clint’s enthusiasm, Phil agreed and took their plates into the kitchen, stacking them in the sink to be cleaned later. When he came back, it only took the mention of a shower together for Clint to grab his hand and drag him back to the bathroom. 

In the bathroom, Phil was trying to turn on the water, but since Clint was determined to get him out of his clothes, it was slow going. The way the calluses on Clint's fingers caught on his skin, made Phil shiver and forget what he was supposed to be doing. He wanted Clint's hands to dip a little lower, to where his cock was beginning to take interest in what was going on. 

“We're supposed to be showering, Clint.” 

Clint pressed his front to Phil's back. Snagging Phil's ear with his teeth, hands shifting under Phil's shirt and over his stomach. “But Phil, you're here and all soft and touchable and I want my hands on you.”

Letting his head fall back on Clint's shoulder, Phil almost abandoned the shower in favour of going back to bed. “You can do all that in the shower, where we'll be wet, and slick, and naked.” 

Tightening his hold on Phil for a second, Clint let go and quickly stripped, waiting for Phil to the do the same. Reaching for the hem of his shirt, Phil pulled it over his head before getting rid of his sweats. Phil could feel Clint looking him up and down before stepping into the shower. 

Pulling the curtain back, Phil took his own long look at Clint under the water. “Phil, the sooner you get in here, the sooner I can get my hands on you and then we can go find that Pikachu.”

Phil snorted as he got in with Clint. “Come here, Clint.” Stepping out of the spray, Clint moved into Phil's arms. Slouching a little, he rested his chin on Phil's chest and batted his eyelashes. Clint waited for Phil to say something more. Instead of saying anything, Phil chose to gently kiss Clint's eyelids. “As much as I'd like to catch Pikachu, I've already caught something so much better.”

Clint went still in Phil's embrace and buried his face in Phil's chest. “You're such a sap, Phil.”

“It's true, though, Clint. You're, by far, the best thing to come out of this game. I wouldn't trade you into Professor Oak no matter how many candies it got me." Phil tightened his grip on Clint and tipped his head up so he could look deep into blue eyes. He needed Clint to hear more than just his words. “There is nothing more rare and worth keeping than finding the right person to be with.”

Clint felt like he was drowning in the intensity of Phil’s gaze. His blue eyes pierced through his soul and filled him up in a way he’d never felt before. Clint smiled and there was a new softness in his voice when he replied, “This is more than a game for me, Phil. You are mean more to me than any game or anyone ever has.” 

Phil couldn’t have said who moved first to close the distance between them, but when Clint kissed him, it was sublime perfection rolling over him like a wave and wrapping him up in a warm blanket; the whole world disappeared outside of that kiss.

Phil let himself get lost in just how perfect it felt kissing Clint. He felt Clint harden against him as the kiss transformed from sweet to sensual and quickly became dirty and intense as they began to move together in sync. Phil peppered Clint’s jawline and neck with kisses and nips; he wanted to taste and touch him everywhere. 

He slipped a hand between them to wrap around Clint’s cock; he was slick and hard and eager. Clint arched into his touch, arms gripping Phil tight, pushing into the hand holding his cock. “Please more, Phil. Feels amazing. Don’t stop.”

Not needing to be asked twice, Phil stroked Clint from root to tip, thumb circling the head, dipping into the slit. Clint’s nails scraped along his back and Phil’s cock throbbed in response. He squeezed Clint’s cock a little tighter and continued stroking the hot hard length in his hand. “Touch me, Clint. Show me just how you like to be touched. Show me how you make yourself come.”

Clint whimpered and took Phil’s balls in his hand, rolling them gently in his palm. Phil inhaled deeply and nipped at Clint’s earlobe. Clint’s grip on his balls tightened for a second before he let go and he traced his index finger up the vein on Phil’s shaft. “Tell me, Phil. I want to know. What did you think about when you were lying in bed or here in the shower? Did you ever think about me?”

Grinning into Clint’s neck, Phil nipped at the sensitive skin near his pulse, and gave a slight twist of his wrist on each upstroke. “God, where to start. You fulfilled my biggest fantasy last night. Having you pound inside me the way you did was absolutely fantastic. I’ve thought about your cock in my ass on every available surface. Over the arm of the couch, the dining room table.” 

Phil took a shuddering breath as Clint’s free hand moved over his chest, thumb moving over his nipple, making it harden. “One of my favorites is coming back after a mission and we barely make it through the door. Clothes half off, hands everywhere as you, fuck, as you push me up against the wall. I don’t know how you feel about rimming, but I want to feel your tongue inside me, making my knees weak.”

Matching Phil stroke for stroke, Clint let out a low moan and bit down on Phil’s shoulder. “More, Phil. Tell me more. Did you ever think about us fucking in your office? I have, so many times. I bet I could fit under your desk. Kneel between your legs, lick and suck you and no one would ever know.”

“I want that, Clint. Sit there while I’m on the phone with Fury with my cock in your mouth. He’d have no clue. I know how to keep my voice steady no matter what is going on, God, but with your mouth, I think it would be a challenge. After, I’d follow you down to the range and ride you on that bench you love to nap on.” Clint’s pace picked up and Phil lost the ability to be coherent. He moaned and kissed Clint hard, claiming his lips for his own desperate need. His vision went white and he let out a loud, “Fuck!” 

As Clint stroked him through the last bit of his orgasm, Clint’s dick shuddered in Phil’s hand and he came all over his fingers. They slumped into each other and they rode out the aftershocks, sharing more kisses and light touches, muscles loose and lax as the hot water flowed over them. “Phil, that was, that was, absolutely amazing. Can we do those things? All the things you described?” He kissed Phil again, lazy and sweet. “And more?”

Phil just chuckled and kissed Clint again. He nudged Clint further under the spray, and slowly began to rinse them both off. Phil reached around Clint for the shampoo and shifted back a little bit so he had better access. He gently massaged the soap into Clint’s hair, enjoying the way Clint just moved with him and melted under his touch. “Lean your head back. And I’d love to do all those things and so many more.”

Rinsing out the shampoo, Clint switched spots with Phil, and returned the favor before they took turns washing each other; hands slowly exploring stretches of skin they had only dreamt before now taking the time to map out and learn the details only a lover knows. 

When the water eventually started to cool, Phil shut off the tap and stepped out, grabbing towels off the rack for them both. Phil tossed Clint a towel, knowing if he were the one drying him off, they’d end up back in bed without any plans to ever leave. Once they were dry, Phil let Clint borrow another set of clothes and took a moment to watch Clint get dressed. 

Slipping Phil’s shirt over his head, Clint loved how he could catch the light scent of Phil’s detergent and how Phil couldn’t seem to keep his eyes off him. “Don’t people usually prefer watching this go the other direction? I think there are some who even pay to watch someone take their clothes off.”

Clint’s tone was teasing, and he shimmied his hips a bit as bent over to retrieve his boots. Phil just laughed lightly while he got his own clothes on. “What can I say? I’m an odd one and like the reverse. Especially when the hot younger man I’ve had in my bed is putting on my clothes.”

There was a flash of lightning out the window, followed by a rumble of thunder and Clint poked Phil with his foot. “Phil, hurry. Storm’s comin’, electric Pokemon…”

Looking up, Phil arched one eyebrow. “I’m almost done. You need to learn patience, young padawan.”

Phil stood and followed a giggling Clint out to the front door. Grabbing his keys, Phil gave his umbrella only a slight thought before running out after Clint into the light rain that was beginning to fall.


	6. Chapter 6

The next few days were a blur of sex and Pokemon, lunches and kisses, paperwork and long heated glances. Cint spent every spare moment with Phil or thinking about how he could get through whatever he was doing faster so he could be with Phil. It was easy to forget about everything else, but the rest of the world kept spinning and in his more lucid moments, there were some things he was ashamed to admit he was purposely not thinking about.

Clint knew he needed to talk to Fitz, but he wasn’t quite sure how to start that conversation, so he kept putting it off. The one thing he did know was that Fitz would be happy for him, but he also didn’t want it to feel as though he was rubbing his relationship with Phil in Fitz’s face. They both knew that Fitz’s feelings towards Phil were more infatuation and admiration than a deep emotional connection, but it was still a conversation he knew they had to have. Giving Phil one last kiss goodbye and promising to see him for lunch later, Clint went down to the range, hoping the routine of shooting would help him relax and think. 

Taking a moment in the locker room, Clint looked at himself in the mirror. Staring at his reflection, Clint narrowed his eyes and gave himself a pep talk. “I am going to talk to Fitz today. After practice, I’m going to be a good friend and actually talk to him.”

Clint had been shooting for almost an hour when a voice over his left shoulder almost made Clint jump out of his skin. Fitz said “Clint? Could we talk a moment?” 

Clint’s heart dropped like a stone into his stomach. Setting the arrow and his bow aside, Clint moved to where Fitz was waiting near the door. He tried to smile brightly as if he hadn’t been ignoring his friend all week. “Of course, Fitz. Everything okay?”

Fitz tilted his head to the side and rolled his eyes. “Really, Clint? That’s how you want to start?”

Wincing slightly, Clint dropped the painfully bright grin and shrugged guiltily. “No? Can I change my answer?” Fitz nodded and waited for Clint to continue. “I’d like to go with: I’m sorry I haven’t come to see you since I started dating Phil. And also that I didn’t tell you about dating Phil.”

“Better, now I can tell you about the present I brought.”

“Present?” Clint tried to see what Fitz could have brought down with him which could possibly be construed as a “present.” 

Lifting a strap that had been across his chest, Fitz showed him a plastic tube. “Arrow prototypes, but first, can we talk?”

Shoulders slumping, Clint followed Fitz to their usual spot and took a seat. Keeping his eyes focused on his hands, Clint just started talking. “I’m guessing you heard about me and Phil through other agents? I’m sorry, again, that I didn’t come talk to you earlier. That was a dick move. You’re my friend and I should have-”

“Clint. Shut up.” Clint stopped talking and waited for Fitz to continue. “Of course, I heard about you and Phil but I am happy for you both. It was past time you two stopped dancing around each other. Between Agent Sitwell constantly complaining and the sexual tension between you two, pretty much every agent was incredibly frustrated.” Fitz added a little less brightly, “What I didn’t like was being avoided by someone who said they were my friend. Since it happened, everyone clams up the second I step into a room and it feels like it did after the night I outed myself. After the fourth time it happened in one day, I decided to just stay in the lab and fiddle with your arrows.”

Clint could tell there was more to the story by the way Fitz’s cheeks were red and how he kept unscrewing and rescrewing on the top of the tube. Elbowing Fitz, gently, in the ribs, Clint took the tube from his hands and leaned into his shoulder, batting his eyelashes. “I am sorry about making you deal with all that. Cross my heart and everything. I owe you big time, name the favor and I’m yours.” Fitz laughed and Clint started to feel a bit better. “I know there’s more to all of this, you should be way more pissed at me, instead, you’re bringing me arrows to play with. Spill.”

Leaning his head back against the wall, Fitz closed his eyes and smiled. Clint liked this smile, it lit up Fitz’s face, and he wanted to know why and how to make it appear more often. “Well you see, the arrows aren’t completely my own invention. The first day really sucked, but after lunch, it started to get better. The whispers didn’t stop, but Mack decided to come up to my lab for the first time in months. Since then, he’s been coming to see me and helping me with my projects. He had some good ideas that I used for the trick arrows, and it’s been nice. It’s been like it used to be.”

Fitz’s voice softened as he told Clint how Mack had been bringing him coffee and even lunch one day. The more Fitz spoke, the more Clint knew things were okay between him and Fitz and he wondered how much prodding it would take to get him to ask Mack out on an actual date. 

Not wanting to push too hard, or make Fitz uncomfortable, Clint decided a change of subject was best. Uncapping the tube, Clint pulled out an arrow and asked, “So what do these bad boys do?”

Clint tried to listen as Fitz explained each arrow, but once he got to the arrow that would allow him to create a timed explosion, he tuned out the rest of Fitz’s explanation. Twirling the explosive arrow between his fingers, Clint hopped off the bench to grab his bow. Stepping into the firing lane, he let Fitz show him how to set the timer. “This is so awesome. How big of an explosion do I get?” 

“Not as big as I can see you’re imagining. Mack helped me find a good medium for something small enough to mostly disable an average size human.”

The blush was back on Fitz’s cheeks, and Clint decided to give up on being subtle. “Sounds like there are,” he twirled the explosive arrow between his fingers, “some sparks happening between you and Mack.” 

Fitz began to stammer slightly, cheeks getting redder and redder. Setting his bow back down, Clint held out a hand, placatingly. “Hey, Fitz, it’s okay. I was just teasing. I didn’t mean to upset you. Dammit, that is the last thing I want today.”

Clint held out his arms to see if Fitz wanted a hug but before Fitz could say, or do, anything, the door opened and Mack came in, looking worried. “Turbo! I mean, Fitz, are you here? Simmons told me you took the new weapons with you and were looking for Barton.” 

“Mack! Over here, I was just showing Clint the explosive arrow we created.” 

Backtracking so he was standing the firing lane with them, Mack took in a red, flustered Fitz and his eyes narrowed at Clint. “Fitz? You were making those detonators for Barton?”

“It’s okay, Mack. Promise. They are kind of a celebration gift because I’m happy for him.” Fitz smiled up at Mack and shifted a little closer to him, arms brushing just barely. “I’m almost done here. Would you like to go for lunch again today, with me, I mean?” 

Mack replied slowly, “I’d like that, Fitz. It’s my turn to buy, I want to take you to that place you mentioned yesterday. It sounded like a really good place.” Mack gave Fitz a quick once over to assess if he was truly as okay as he said he was.

Clint watched them with a sly grin. It was obvious Mack was still infatuated with Fitz but wasn’t sure how to take that next step. “Did you want to see your masterpiece at work, Mack? It’s only fair since you both made it.”

Eyes still on Fitz, Mack pulled him out of the firing lane, but kept his hand on his arm. “Yeah, sure. Come on, Turbo, let’s get out of Barton’s way.” It was cute how he kept his big hands on Fitz’s shoulder long after they were standing still a safe distance away.

Fitz called out, “Clint, goggles, and earplugs first!” 

Rolling his eyes, Clint made a show of putting the goggles on and earplugs in. When he hit the bullseye, he felt the concussive force as the target exploded and sent splinters and paper flying everywhere. 

“Fitz! That was awesome! I want a whole bunch of these! I can’t wait to try the rest of the arrows you created.”

But neither Fitz nor Mack were paying attention to Clint anymore. Both had rushed forward and were instead taking a good look at the fragments that had come flying. Fitz scratched his head and looked at Mack. “I think we used a little too much explosive, but the timer was perfect.” 

Mack smiled fondly down at him. “They were your designs, Turbo, I just put the pieces together.”

Fitz said, “Don’t be silly. You suggested the ignition filament. Without your input, I’d never have been able to make them this tiny.”

Clint shook his head, smiling, as they began going back and forth about ratios and chemicals and who deserved credit for which idea. Fitz was standing close to Mack, holding out a charred piece of paper and going on about gunpowder, and completely oblivious to the incandescent smile on Mack’s face. Mack easily draped his arm over Fitz’s shoulder and leaned down to examine the paper, keeping his voice low as he asked questions. Knowing they had completely forgotten his presence, Clint backed out of the lane to give them some time alone. He peeked at the clock above the door and decided it was the perfect time to see if Phil wanted to get an early lunch and maybe go hunt down a Pikachu. Twitter said one had been spotted not too far away. Maybe today would be their lucky day; but as eager as Clint was to catch a Pikachu, he really only cared a little bit about that. The best part had been and always would be the time he got to spend with Phil.


	7. Epilogue

Jasper input his override code for Phil’s office and pushed open the door.

“Phil, this place is going to hell in a handbasket. Nothing is sacred anymore.”

Phil was flushed red and focusing very hard on the paperwork in front of him. He said tightly, “Is this an emergency, Jasper?” His breath caught for a minute. “I’m a little busy.”

Jasper flopped himself casually down into the chair opposite Phil’s desk. “Yes, it’s an emergency. I’m never going to recover from this. I just went down to the garage to check on a project. Perfectly responsible agent me, following up on work that needs to be done.”

Phil groaned. “Jasper, please can this wait?”

Jasper kept talking, “I can’t find Mack, so I go into his office. No sooner do I open the door than I see he’s sitting pretty behind his desk, but little tiny Agent Fitz is buck naked bouncing on his lap.”

Phil bit out, “Jasper. Please go away. Now.”

Jasper said, “I’m not sure you understand, Phil. This is the kind of thing a man can never unsee, he was bouncing. Naked. Cock flapping around, cheeks flushed--”

Phil’s chair rolled back a few inches and Clint’s head popped up from under Phil’s desk, his lips spit slick and puffy pink and his hair messed. His voice was a little hoarse. “Agent Coulson is a little busy right now. Could you please fuck off and come back later?”

Jasper sputtered in surprise and shoved his chair as far back from Phil’s desk as he could. Eyes wide he tried very hard not to look down below Phil’s shoulders. “What the --? What the fuck? Phil? What the hell, Phil? You swore I would never win that bet.”

Phil growled. “I literally could not possibly care less about your bet than I do right now. Would you please get the fuck out and stop breaking into my office?”

Jasper grin went from mortified to gleeful. “Maria is not going to like paying up for this one!”

Phil started to retort but his words turned into a moan as Clint’s blond hair started to bob up and down in an unmistakable motion.

Jasper’s amusement turned to chuckles and laughter as he casually strolled out of Phil’s office. “I’m gonna make a mint on this one, Phil. Drinks on me this weekend. And bring Barton. I’d like to not think of this scene every time I hear his name, and I know Maria wants to get to know him too.”

Jasper closed the door behind him and didn’t lock it. He found a piece of paper, scribbled a note on it and taped it to Phil’s door. “Open office hours, come in.” Because he was a good friend and he wanted to make sure as many people as possible knew how happy Phil was these days.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a comment and let us know what you thought -- not what Jasper would say, what YOU have you say (although if you want to comment on what Jasper would have to say, that's cool too)
> 
> Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it :)


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